The Business Bytes
NEW DELHI, MAY 14, 2024 (TBB BUREAU): Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, announced its accreditation under the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Chain of Custody Standard V2 (2022) on Tuesday. This significant milestone was achieved for its smelter located within the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at its Jharsuguda plant, underscoring its steadfast dedication to sustainable practices. With an impressive annual smelting capacity of 1.8 million tonnes, Vedanta Aluminium’s operations in Jharsuguda hold the distinction of being the world’s largest aluminium plant.
Before this notable recognition, Vedanta Aluminium had already obtained the ASI Performance Standard Certification for the production and distribution of primary aluminium products at its SEZ-based facility in Jharsuguda, as well as at BALCO, a Vedanta Aluminium unit located in Korba, Chhattisgarh.
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a prominent global non-profit organization committed to establishing standards and certifying entities within the aluminium industry to foster widespread transformation. ASI’s stringent Standards span the entire supply chain, from bauxite mining to downstream sectors utilizing aluminium in their products, serving as a prestigious benchmark for sustainable operations worldwide.
A Chain of Custody (CoC) system guarantees the traceability of materials and associated claims throughout the supply chain. ASI’s CoC Standard V2 mandates requirements for establishing a transparent Chain of Custody for materials processed through the value chain into various downstream sectors. The implementation of ASI’s CoC Standard seamlessly links verified practices at successive supply chain stages, certified under the ASI Performance Standard, to the materials produced by ASI Certified Entities. The independent, third-party audit leading to Vedanta Aluminium’s smelter certification was conducted by CETIZION Verifica.
Expressing the significance of the certification, Vedanta Aluminium CEO John Slaven said, “We welcome the Chain of Custody Certification for our SEZ-based operations in Jharsuguda, the first in India to achieve this mark of operational excellence. Following on the ASI Performance Standard Certifications for our plants in Jharsuguda and BALCO, it comes as a significant reiteration of our commitment to undertaking responsible operations. At Vedanta Aluminium, we are focused on integrating and encouraging sustainable practices within every stage of the aluminium value chain, and through this effort, fully explore the limitless potential of the ‘Metal of the Future’ in building a greener tomorrow.”
Dr. Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, commended Vedanta Limited (Aluminium Business) on their accreditation under ASI CoC Standard V2 for their Jharsuguda Smelter. “The certification demonstrates Vedanta’s efforts towards implementing responsible sourcing practices and is complementary to their Performance Standard (V2) Certification, which provides a pathway for continuous improvement of their sustainability performance,” added Dr. Solomon.
At the forefront of revolutionizing the global aluminium industry, Vedanta Aluminium has pledged to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. This ambitious goal is supported by a dual strategy aimed at reducing its carbon footprint through operational excellence and increasing the proportion of renewables in its energy mix, while also offsetting its carbon footprint through extensive afforestation initiatives. Furthermore, its products have been verified as sustainably produced by Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) International.
