Tag: Hindustan Zinc

HZL Innovation and Tech
Business

Leveraging Technology and Advancing Innovation: Hindustan Zinc walking the ESG talk

Dec 29, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #ESG, #Hindustan Zinc, #innovation, #Technology

We presently dwell in a global community that is equally volatile and unpredictable. Innovative market dynamics are emerging as a result of a slew of mega-trends, including fast globalization and technological breakthroughs. In order to thrive in such a setting, it’s imperative for businesses to constantly innovate. Nevertheless, innovation is no more solely for the sake of generating value for organizations. The overall objective of innovation must go far wider, participating in the establishment of a smarter future that serves all of the company’s stakeholders. The cornerstone of Hindustan Zinc’s expansion over the last half a century has been a thorough knowledge of market impulses and market demands, including the aptitude to integrate them into customer-driven offerings utilizing innovations and technology.

The significance of technology is doubled when it is implemented holistically instead of as an individual operation. At Hindustan Zinc, the team has been at the vanguard of implementing the most advanced technologies to establish and strengthen a strategic position in the mining sector, while also improving efficacy and productivity across its operations. One of the most notable achievements has been the successful commissioning of a 3000 KLD zero liquid discharge RO-ZLD plant at the Zinc Smelter Debari. It will recycle 30 Lac litres of water each day. At its Zawar Mines in Rajasthan, Hindustan Zinc has built India’s first ‘Dry Tailing Plant’. The dry tailing system has major advantages, including recirculation of more than 80% of the process water present in tailings, speedier rehabilitation and restoration of the storage site after mine closure, and ensured water re-availability for future usage. The company has also commissioned a 10 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) facility in Udaipur, and another 5 MLD STP is nearing completion, bringing the total STP capacity built up by it to 60 MLD. This will treat nearly all of Udaipur’s sewage, and the recycled water will be used by its plants, lowering its freshwater use dramatically.

Hindustan Zinc has made notable technological advancements in the area of energy conservation. To achieve their aim of ‘Net Zero’ GHG emissions, it is vital to focus on energy efficiency as well. To that effort, the Zinc Smelter Debari has revamped the Cell House and eliminated current losses through electrolytic cells by successfully replacing 656 concrete cells with poly concrete cells. As a result, the power rating has improved from 6.7 to 7.2, and the electric energy consumption has been reduced from 3616 to 3307 kWh/MT of Zn cathode. Additionally, the turbine refurbishment project is certified as a carbon reduction project by VERRA (the world’s most widely used voluntary GHG program). In the coming year, their captive thermal power plants’ turbines will be revamped, resulting in a decrease of 270,000 tCO2e per year.

Safety isn’t just a set of rules and regulations for Hindustan Zinc’s employees; it’s a way of life. The business places a high value on its employees’ safety and well-being and works to provide the best facilities to achieve this. In 2021, Hindustan Zinc launched a revolutionary InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) surveillance technology based on satellites to offer early warning of surface ground movements. It provides mine-scale surface displacement monitoring with great precision. The company’s Rajpura Dariba Mine (RDM) epitomizes this safe working culture by inventing India’s first staircase-style emergency escape route, which is located 708 metres below the earth. In an emergency, the innovative 25-meter-long escape route will guarantee a seamless and speedy rescue operation from the lowest level of RDM, which is located at 232 Mean Reduced Level (MRL).

Hindustan Zinc is consistently on the quest for innovative technologies to address important societal issues, new proactive initiatives to forecast the unpredictable economy and break down roadblocks to a brighter and smarter future. The business has made tremendous headway in leveraging technology and is eager to adopt emerging innovations in the future, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain capabilities.

Hindustan Zinc - No Vehicle Day
Business

It’s No Vehicle Day For Hindustan Zinc

Dec 15, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Hindustan Zinc, #Mr. Arun Misra, #No Vehicle Day

Hindustan Zinc, India’s largest producer of zinc, lead, and silver, observed “No Vehicle Day” by adopting eco-friendly alternatives for transportation on ‘National Energy Conservation Day. The day was celebrated in a unique way by spreading awareness on reducing the carbon footprint, promoting energy conservation, and reducing pollution generated by automobiles. All the senior personnel, employees, and staff including the CEO, throughout the business’s operational sites, travelled to their office either on foot, via bicycle, shared rickshaw, public transportation, or through carpooling with their colleagues on Tuesday.

Rallies were held at the company’s unit sites to raise awareness, and other activities such as quiz competitions, plant distribution, commitment board signing, and a skit performance were also organised. These diverse activities piqued the employees’ interest, and many pledged to limit the usage of their private vehicles as much as possible. In India, the transportation sector emits an estimated 261 tonnes of CO2, with road transport accounting for 94.5%. A typical passenger vehicle emits around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. By avoiding driving for even a single day, one can minimise their carbon footprint by around 0.5 tonnes over a year.

Mr. Arun Misra, CEO of Hindustan Zinc, expressing his thoughts on this remarkable way of commemorating Energy Conservation Day, said, “The primary objective of honouring this day is to raise awareness and understanding among all employees regarding the significance of curtailing their carbon footprint and encourage them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the use of fossil fuels. We also encouraged all to use cycles and public transportation on a daily basis in order to contribute to a pollution-free environment and be the environmentally conscious citizens of India. Hindustan Zinc is committed to the cause of sustainability and to ensure GHG emission reductions in a substantive number in the next four to five years.”

Hindustan Zinc is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions on a continuous basis, with sustainability as an overriding goal of its growth objectives. Through a series of innovative and emerging initiatives, the company is taking proactive steps toward attaining its target of reducing its carbon footprint by 500,000 tons of CO2. These include the deployment of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in underground mining, the installation of variable frequency drives to minimise auxiliary power usage, and the revamping of CPP turbines, among other things.

ESG Risk AI - Group Picture
Business

Hindustan Zinc wins at ESG India Leadership Awards

Oct 9, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #CEO, #Chairman-ESGRisk.ai and Group CEO- Acuité, #Hindustan Zinc, #Mr. Arun Misra, #Sankar Chakraborti

Udaipur – Hindustan Zinc (HZL), the leading producer of Zinc, Lead, and Silver in India, has been leading the ESG transformation with a strong commitment to sustainability principles. The company has emerged as the winner in the ESG Leader – Overall Environment category and Leadership in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction category during first edition of ‘ESG India Leadership Awards’ organized by ESGRisk.ai, India’s first ESG rating company. The awards were presented in a virtual ceremony where Mr U K Sinha, Former Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Mr S S Mundra, Former Deputy Governor, The Reserve Bank of India, and other prominent dignitaries graced the occasion.

Sankar Chakraborti, Chairman-ESGRisk.ai and Group CEO- Acuité appreciated the efforts and said “As part of our ESG India Leadership Awards, we are glad to announce that Hindustan Zinc ltd was not only been recognized for mitigating GHG emissions but also has emerged the leader in Environment Practices. Hindustan Zinc has installed renewable power generation, reuses as well as recycles waste (31%) and water (39%). It is among very few companies who undertake science-based targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2026 but also successfully reduced its Scope 1 GHG emissions by already 2.87%. I congratulate Hindustan Zinc for their exceptional performance in environment category.”

This award exemplifies Hindustan Zinc’s commitment towards accomplishing positive climate action, building a more sustainable and greener future.

Commenting on the achievement Mr. Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc said, “Hindustan Zinc is delighted to receive the ESG Leader – Environment category and the Best Initiatives for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction award from ESG Risk AI. We are glad that our commitment towards collective sustained growth was recognized. Our efforts for continuous enhancement of solar plant capacity, net-zero target in alignment with SBTi, paste fill plant, dry tailing plant and wind power generation contribute to creating a greener future. We at Hindustan Zinc will continue our efforts towards a sustainability-conscious world.”

Hindustan Zinc has been recognized as one of India’s leading wind power producers and the company’s 40 MW of solar plants holds the credit of being installed over man-made waste dump yards. The company has reduced GHG emissions from its operations by 2.87% from the previous year and is among few companies to undertake science-based targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2026. The company has come up with innovative sustainable solutions to reuse and recycle 31% of the waste generated and 39.6% of the water consumed. The company has incorporated a modern alternative to waste usage through the means of ‘Paste Fill’ technology which combines the backfilling process with the tailing management. Another noteworthy initiative in reducing freshwater intake is the 60 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant under PPP Model which provides a sustainable water source to the company’s operations. All operating units of the company are equipped with Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001.