GREEN FOOTPRINTS OF ZINC

273.5 MW of Green Energy – 34.4 MW of power through waste heat recovery from roasters - Reduced Carbon footprint of 700,677 tCO2e per annum

Rationalisation and Innovation plays an important role in the development of any country. But as the business grows, responsibility towards the people and the surroundings also grows. It is important for the industries to adopt best environment friendly technologies for all its operations. Optimum utilisation of resources and managing the waste should be the key focus area of any industry.

Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta group company in zinc-lead-silver business and the world's largest integrated zinc producer has been the key initiator in adopting clean green technology. The company's mining and smelting operations are based on environment friendly technologies that led the plant to conserve water and energy.

The operations are working on zero discharge principle and company is putting on efforts and research for gainful utilization of waste generated at its mines, smelters and power plants. Hindustan Zinc has persistent focus on minimal impact on environment and the company practices - reduce, recycle, reuse, and reclaim policy. The Effluent Treatment Plant with Reverse Osmosis plants installed at all smelting locations is resulting in reducing fresh water foot prints of the company and also to maintain zero discharge status.

The company installed its first Adiabatic Cooling Towers (ACTs) to replace the conventional cooling towers at the cost of about 40 crores. ACTs reduce water wastage in the form of evaporation losses by almost 80% by operating in a closed circuit. This has reduced the fresh water consumption at intake.

Care for the environment is driven by the three factors – technology, people and adherence. The company has successfully completed commissioning of 273.5 MW of wind farms in two phases, located in five states of India - Gujarat (88.8 MW), Karnataka (49.40 MW), Rajasthan (88.8 MW), Maharashtra (25.5 MW) and Tamil Nadu (21 MW). The company's entire 273.5 MW capacities of wind power generation have been registered under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They produced and sold 511.4 million units of wind power to the states' grids, an increase of 52.3% as compared to FY 2012.

The concern and the participation for the conservation of the environment cannot be forced; it has to be taken up as a responsibility. The company has been successful in reducing annual average emissions of 497,209 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, by producing 536,882 MWh per year (average) equivalent amount of clean energy.

Other than wind projects, company's 9.4 MW waste heat recovery Steam Turbine Generation (STG) and 21 TPH Low Calorific Value Gas (LCV) boilers for steam generation projects are also registered under CDM. The total registered project has helped Hindustan Zinc to reduce carbon footprint by 583,685 tCO2e per annum. The company also reduced carbon footprint by 116,992 tCO2e from initiatives  other than the registered CDM projects.

Care for the environment can be done in two ways: enhancing the green belt and protecting the environment. The company's R&D efforts have materialised to utilise slag, a waste from zinc process in cement manufacturing. The fly ash which is a waste material from thermal power plant is utilised fully by cement industries. Over 1.3 million green plantation cover the company's premises. Hindustan Zinc is producing 34.4 MW of power through waste heat recovered from roasters. The company is also in the process to construct 20 million liters per day (MLD) Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Udaipur. This Sewage Treatment Plant is a significant step towards conservation of water and care for environment by cleaning the Ahar River thereby improving overall health & hygiene of Udaipur city.

The company innovated the 'Cansolv Technology' in the Lead Plant at Chanderiya unit that controls SO2 emissions and converts it into Sulphuric Acid. Hindustan Zinc has also installed Tail Gas Treatment (TGT) plants at its smelters that reduce SO 2 emissions below the national standards. The technology adopted does not produce waste and effluent.

Hindustan Zinc has a state-of-the-art `Central Research & Development Laboratory (CRDL)' which was established by the company in 1976 with an objective to enhance metal recoveries, to recover values from the waste and optimise waste management.

Hindustan Zinc also adheres to the highest safety standards that also have been integrated in the people management process. It enables the company to detect and eliminate any safety risk, occupational risk or health hazards. The company through PPE compliance, structured training, safety workshops and internal & external audits is committed to have zero workplace injury. The company is working towards elimination of occupational illness through providing a workplace that is free from the occupational health risk and hygiene hazard. They (OH experts & Company doctors) pro-actively work with employees and the contractors for healthier lifestyle that enables to increase the productivity of the company and reduces absenteeism.

All the mines and the smelters are having occupational health centres where experts are present for regular health examination of the employees at the workplace. These centres also have the facilities of specific examination like blood lead level test, audiometric test, spirometry test, apart from routine tests like ECG, X-ray facilities etc.

The employees also play the important role of maintaining highest standards of corporate governance. All the employees are adhered to all the Environment, Occupational Health and Safety (EOHS) policies, contributing in protecting and conserving the environment to bring ecological balance as a part of sustainable development.