Hindalco’s journey towards lower Carbon footprint - Digital Twin | Technology upgradation

#Metal #DigitalTransformation #DigitalTwin #Energy #Efficiency

Senthil Nath

Organizations do realize the significance of reducing energy consumption as it not only dents the costs but also results in heavy emission discharge. Mr. Senthil Nath, Jt. President & Head of Smelter, Hindalco shares with ProMFGmedia their journey of implementing digital twin, steps adopted by Hindalco to reduce the energy consumption and the key competencies for the Aluminum industry.

The digital twin is one of the prominent technologies running for a couple of years and has enabled Hindalco to manage efficiency losses. Hindalco opted to utilize digital twin as a prediction tool to predict potline current efficiency and improve the process. The digital twin identifies the specific parameters through which the Smelter may lose efficiency. For eg, a higher pot temperature will result in metal deposit loss at cathode, eventually leading to loss in metal production. The technology helps in mapping and predicting the critical parameters to achieve higher pot performance.

Hindalco Industries implemented the digital twin with the help of Aditya Birla Group Science and Technology Center and Group DNA Cell. They have completed the first phase of the process and the second phase is going on.

The Copper insert collector bar technology is another biggest turnaround project for Hindalco. The aluminum industry is highly energy intensive and consumes up to 14,000 units of power to produce one ton of aluminum and hence every smelter intends to reduce the energy consumption as it is not only cost expensive but also the emissions involved in it is very high. Hence, Hindalco innovated its own Copper insert collector bar technology and it was able to reduce the energy consumption by 250 units per ton of metal which is an outstanding breakthrough in the whole aluminum manufacturing process.

Hindalco also upgraded the busbar configuration at their old Renukoot plant, which is a 1962 plant, where they have completely modified their busbar system and thus were able to reduce the energy consumption by around 250 units in the whole process.

Hindalco also recovered the waste heat released from their baking furnaces successfully by inhouse development of waste heat recovery unit and utilize the same for reduction in energy consumption for the first time in the country and patented the same.

Aluminium Industry is divided into various processes starting from Mining, Power, Alumina Refinery, Smelter and the Downstream. Hindalco has built major competencies in the following areas:

  • ● Production Operations
  • ● Safety
  • ● Engineering and Maintenance Management
  • ● Plant Technical Services
  • ● Sourcing and Procurement and Logistics
  • ● Business R&D
  • ● Processes Engineering and Environment
  • ● Future focused competencies like Digital twins,IoT,etc

Hindalco uses a framework based on these competences to train and skill their teams.

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