Vedanta Aluminium Business, India's largest producer of aluminium has signed an agreement with GEAR (Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited) India, to deploy one of the largest fleets of lithium-ion battery-powered electric forklifts, becoming the first in Indian aluminium industry to undertake such an initiative. The company shall commission 23 such forklifts in phases over the next few months at its aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Odisha, which is one of the world's largest single-location aluminium smelters.
Vedanta Aluminium currently operates a large fleet of forklifts for finished goods handling, material movement, etc. The new lithium-ion forklifts will help
maximise productivity of operations and enable longer working cycles via rapid charging. In the lithium-ion batteries the uniqueness is that they avoid the hassles of frequent battery change and have a substantially longer life than conventional lead-acid batteries, while being virtually maintenance-free, as they are completely sealed. These forklifts make use of the cutting-edge 'Smart Fleet Management' system to help ensure the highest levels of safety at site.
Speaking about the partnership, Mr Rahul Sharma, CEO - Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited, said, "Vedanta Aluminium is committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon emissions by 2050. Our partnership with GEAR to deploy one of India's largest and most advanced electric forklift fleets, is in line with our endeavour towards leveraging the power of innovation and technology to make our operations future-ready. In addition to reducing carbon footprint, this initiative uses cloud computing to provide real-time analytics to enhance productivity and further bolster our people's safety."
Mr. Varun Chopra, Executive Chairman of GEAR India, added, "Vedanta Aluminium's endeavour to replace fossil-fuelled heavy vehicles with technologically-advanced lithium-ion forklifts at such a mammoth scale is a praiseworthy move. It is our privilege to be Vedanta's partner in this pioneering venture, which will go a long way towards decarbonizing their industrial vehicle fleet. This will serve as an inspiration for the Indian manufacturing industry to explore emerging technology solutions for achieving their Net Zero vision."
