Move part of company’s endeavour to create a responsible supply chain and protect the environment
As part of its sustainability initiative, Tata Steel has tied up with Gurugram-based Indian start up Infraprime Logistics Technology (IPLT) to pursue its aspiration of deploying electric vehicles (EVs) for its steel transport. This endeavour marks the first-ever deployment of electric vehicles by any steel producer in the country for transportation of finished steel. Tata Steel has contracted for 27 EVs, each with a carrying capacity of 35 tonnes of steel (minimum capacity). The company plans to deploy 15 EVs at its Jamshedpur plant and 12 EVs at its Sahibabad plant. The first set of EVs for Tata Steel is being put in operation between Tata Steel BSL’s Sahibabad plant and Pilkhuwa stockyard in Uttar Pradesh.
At a virtual ceremony organised on July 29, Tata Steel formally flagged off the loaded vehicle at the Pilkhuwa stockyard to move to the Sahibabad plant, 38 km away. Dibyendu Bose, Vice President (Supply Chain), Tata Steel, said: “It is a great occasion for us today as we are launching electric vehicles to move steel on JRD Tata’s 117th birth anniversary. This initiative is aimed at reduction of GHG emissions and will help protect the environment in the long run. It was our CEO and MD who gave us the inspiration to go for electric vehicles and contribute towards achieving our sustainability goals.”
“I am glad to see that our team’s commitment has made this possible. Finding the right partner has enabled us to deploy EVs in our supply chain. It is the beginning of a new era for Tata Steel and the supply chain division and I wish them all success,” he added. Peeyush Gupta, Vice President Designate (Supply Chain) said: “Tata Steel has been a pioneer in introducing path-breaking initiatives in the past as well. While we have multiple initiatives focussed on customer service, this is a definitive step towards our commitment to environment. This initiative is also aligned to the government’s larger climate agenda and will surely serve as a cornerstone and a way forward for the industry to follow.”
Sanjiv Paul congratulated the supply chain division for this momentous achievement and expressed his desire to see in future an ecosystem which is developed to support the long-distance movement as well. Subodh Pandey shared his thoughts on this new initiative and remarked that there are many more opportunities and we will all have to work together to make the dream of going green a reality. The EVs being deployed comprise a 2.2 tonne 230.4 kWh lithium ion battery pack with a sophisticated cooling system and a battery management system giving it the capability to operate at ambient temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius. The battery pack would be powered by a 160 kWh charger setup which would be able to charge the battery from 0-100% in 90 minutes. With zero tail-pipe emission, each electric vehicle would reduce the GHG footprint by more than 125 tonnes of CO2 equivalent every year. Tata Steel’s vision is to be the global steel industry benchmark in value creation and corporate citizenship. Sustainable business practices are key enablers to achieving this vision. The Responsible Supply Chain Policy of Tata Steel lays down environmental protection as an integral sustainability principle for all its supply chain decisions and processes.