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Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO)

Aluminium Sadan, Core - 6, Scope Office Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi - 110003

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Vedanta BALCO successfully tests biodiesel as green fuel alternative for its aluminium smelter

2nd November 2022

Balconagar, Korba, Chhattisgarh; 1st November, 2022: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, has successfully conducted trial runs for using biodiesel in smelter operations. In the pilot test, 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. For example, the company is currently utilizing 40-50 tonnes of biomass briquettes per day at its power plants and has plans to further increase the quantum of biomass consumption to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel.

Energy conservation and increase in adoption of green fuels form the two most important pillars of BALCO’s journey of decarbonization. In FY 2022, 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.

Speaking about BALCO’s commitment towards decarbonizing its operations in the long term, Mr. 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.”

Testimony to its manufacturing excellence, BALCO has been conferred with the prestigious IMC RBNQ Milestone Merits Recognition 2021 award. The company has also received the distinguished National Energy Leaders Awards 2022 in Metal Sector at the CII 23rd National Award for Excellence in Energy Management, and has been recognized as an Excellent Energy Efficient Unit for third time in a row by CII.

About BALCO:

Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, operating a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium, i.e., 2.42 million tonnes in FY25. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow. For more information, please log on to www.balcoindia.com

For more information, please contact:

Shuchi Mishra
Head – PR & Communications,BALCO
Shuchi.Mishra@vedanta.co.in

Disclaimer:

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

About Vedanta Limited:

Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Vedanta and its group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2020, and were conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award 2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by the Government of Rajasthan. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com

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