New Delhi. Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Group’s iron ore mining and steel business has reduced carbon emissions by around 25 lakh tonnes through various sustainability initiatives in the last five years. On Thursday, the company said measures such as ecological restoration, adoption of renewable energy and clean industrial processes are part of its efforts to decarbonize heavy industry and align with national and global climate goals.
28,900 tons of carbon dioxide emissions reduced
On World Environment Day, Vedanta Iron & Steel Limited reiterated its commitment towards building a low-carbon future, saying that even a long-standing mining and metals company can take the lead in sustainable practices. The use of clean technology is central to the company’s carbon emissions reduction efforts. By using electric passenger vehicles, wheel loaders and forklifts, about 800 kiloliters of diesel is being saved every year and there has been a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Under the sustainable transportation system, the company’s waterways vessel operations reduced transportation equivalent to approximately 2.1 lakh truck trips in the financial year 2025-26. Due to which 1.08 crore liters of diesel was saved and about 28,900 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were reduced.
Avoiding 2.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions
At the Pig Iron Plant in Amona, Goa and the Bokaro Steel Plant, Vedanta developed a total of 100 MW of power generation capacity through waste heat recovery, thereby avoiding 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. As part of environmental protection, 7.5 lakh trees have been planted in Sanquelim Rehabilitation Mine of Goa which is spread over an area of more than 100 hectares. With the help of which 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide is absorbed every year. In thirty years this region has absorbed approximately 4.8 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide. In addition, dense forests (Miyawaki method) have been developed in Amona and Bokaro, where more than 75,000 trees have been planted.
Three lakh trees were planted
Apart from this, three lakh more trees have been planted under regular afforestation campaigns. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,500 tonnes per annum, the company is moving from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to piped natural gas at its 15 lakh tonne capacity integrated steel plant in Bokaro in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation Limited. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Pankaj Kumar Sharma, for a sustainable future, industries will have to rethink their relationship with energy use, transportation systems and the environment.
