Jindal Stainless has deployed 10 electric trucks to transport finished goods from its manufacturing plant at Jajpur in Odisha to Kharagpur and Kolkata in West Bengal, marking the company’s first use of electric vehicles for finished-goods transportation.
The deployment is part of the company’s phased strategy to transition towards electric and alternative-fuel vehicles across its logistics operations, reducing the carbon footprint of cargo transportation while maintaining operational efficiency.
In a filing with the stock exchanges, the company said the new electric trucks would complement its existing fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles deployed across key logistics corridors.
Expanding the green logistics fleet
Jindal Stainless currently operates 80 liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered trucks to transport finished goods from its Jajpur and Hisar facilities to western India. It has also begun deploying compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks to transport import cargo from Dhamra Port to its Jajpur plant.
In addition, the company has introduced 60 CNG buses for employee transportation at its Hisar and Jajpur facilities.
The company plans to expand its electric and alternative-fuel vehicle fleet in phases across suitable routes, depending on the operational requirements of individual logistics corridors.
Together, these vehicles are expected to handle approximately 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes of cargo a month, according to the company.
Emissions reduction target
Jindal Stainless estimates that its combination of electric, CNG and LNG vehicles could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 71 tonnes per month compared with conventional diesel-based transportation, representing an estimated reduction of approximately 26%.
The estimate is based on a modelled monthly green dispatch volume of 8,000 to 9,000 tonnes and a cumulative truck travel distance of approximately 240,000 km. The actual environmental benefits will depend on operating conditions and the deployment of the fleet.
“Responsible manufacturing must extend beyond our plants to the entire value chain, including the way we transport our products,” said Abhyuday Jindal, Managing Director of Jindal Stainless.
He described the deployment of electric trucks as an important milestone in the company’s efforts to decarbonise logistics and integrate lower-emission transportation solutions into its operations.
The company will continue to pursue practical and scalable initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint while maintaining operational efficiency, as part of its broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.