Vedanta-controlled Bharat Aluminium Co. Ltd (Balco) has successfully conducted trial runs for using biodiesel in smelter operations. In the pilot, the company used biodiesel for preheating molten metal (aluminium) carrying vehicles, called ‘ladles’, which transfer the hot metal in its molten state from its potlines to cast houses. A potline is a long building, or collection of buildings, located in a smelter and contains a series of ‘pots’, or large electrolytic cells, in which aluminium smelting is carried out. The preheating process is extremely crucial for removing any trace of moisture from the ladle.
This is important for maintaining the purity and temperature of the metal during its transportation to cast houses, where the molten aluminium is converted into various finished products.
Biodiesel is a form of fuel derived from organic matter which, when burned, produces significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional, non-renewable fuels, besides aiding in farmers’ income. This is in line with the company’s ambitious target to become Net Zero Carbon by 2050 or sooner.
“Towards this end, Balco is looking at increasing the quantum of renewables in its energy mix through various sources of green fuels, such as renewable energy, biomass, biodiesel, etc,” the company said in a statement.
“In FY2022, through various energy conservation initiatives, Balco has conserved nearly 22,000 GJ of energy. With endeavours such as these, Balco is taking significant strides towards contributing to Vedanta’s aim to become Net Zero Carbon by 2050 or sooner,” it added.
Speaking about Balco’s commitment towards decarbonizing its operations in the long term, Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director, Balco, said, “Balco is undertaking robust initiatives towards decarbonization, such as innovating upon existing processes to increase energy savings and reduce GHG emissions. The successful pilot trial of biodiesel applications at our smelter encourages us to remain attuned to emerging technologies for reducing our carbon footprint. With excellence in Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) central to how we operate, Balco continues to proactively work towards bringing together business growth and environmental protection for sustainable socio-economic development.”