Vedanta Aluminium to induct smart e-forklifts in its fleet

Vedanta Aluminium Business (Vedanta) has joined hands with Gemini Equipment and Rentals Private Limited (GEAR) India to deploy one of the largest fleets of lithium-ion battery-powered electric forklifts at its aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda, Odisha.  

Based on the Smart Fleet Management system, these e-forklifts use IoT (Internet of Things) technology to integrate the data collected by terminals. The data generated will in turn provide Vedanta Aluminium’s insights on a real-time basis with respect to forklift speed, access to operate, collision avoidance, optimisation analysis for operational efficiency and equipment maintenance, among others, the company said in a statement.

GEAR is a warehousing/intralogistics material handling Equipment (MHE) rental service provider. Vedanta shall commission 23 such e-forklifts in a phased manner over the next few months. With this move, the company claims that it will be able to cut down GHG greenhouse gas emission of nearly 690 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum by replacing the diesel-fuelled forklifts with this green fleet. 

“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,” said Rahul Sharma, CEO – Aluminium Business, Vedanta Limited. 

Furthermore, these electric forklifts are equipped with forward and reverse cameras, ensuring complete visibility to the operators, red-zone light and blue spotlights that create a safe operating zone around the forklift, as well as automatic deceleration mechanism while turning, for enhanced safety.  

Vedanta Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, producing half of country’s aluminium i.e., 1.97 million tonnes in FY21. It currently operates a large fleet of forklifts for finished goods handling, material movement, etc.