Hindalco sets new sustainability benchmark with commissioning of advanced ZLD Plant at Hirakud

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, DECEMBER 15, 2025

Hindalco Industries Limited has reinforced its leadership in sustainable industrial practices with the commissioning of a state-of-the-art 100 KLD Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plant at its Hirakud Smelter & Power unit in Sambalpur, Odisha. Equipped with advanced Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) technology, the facility marks a major milestone in the company’s journey towards responsible water stewardship and resource efficiency.

The newly commissioned ZLD plant ensures complete recycling and reuse of industrial effluents, effectively eliminating liquid discharge from operations. By leveraging recycled steam energy to evaporate and condense wastewater, the MVR-based system enables an impressive 90–95 per cent recovery of clean water, which is reused within the plant. This significantly reduces freshwater intake, strengthens environmental compliance and supports long-term sustainability goals.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, including Uma Nanduri, Member Secretary, OSPCB, and Dr. S. N. Nanda, Regional Officer, SPCB, alongside Hindalco’s senior management team, including Sumit Mukherjee (Unit Head), Pratap Sahu (Head – Smelter), Arun Singh (Head – CPP), Soubhagya Tripathy (Deputy Head – Corporate Affairs), Ranjan Jena (Head – Environment), along with Rupesh Mahajan, Biswajit Tiwari, Bibhor Mohapatra, Tushar Patra, Ashish Das and other officials, underscoring the strategic importance of the project.

Implemented with an investment of approximately ₹35 crore, the initiative highlights Hindalco’s focused approach towards sustainability, circular economy principles and efficient resource management. The project aligns seamlessly with the company’s long-term vision of achieving Water Positivity across its operations.

With this pioneering MVR-based ZLD facility, Hindalco Hirakud Smelter & Power joins an elite group of advanced industrial units adopting next-generation water management solutions. The project not only sets a new benchmark for the aluminium industry but also reaffirms Hindalco’s commitment to environmental excellence, regulatory compliance and future-ready operations in India’s evolving industrial landscape.