Thermax’s facility in Sri City received Platinum rating from Cll

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Thermax’s facility in Sri City received Platinum rating from Cll – IGBC

Thermax’s facility in Sri City received Platinum rating from Cll – IGBC

Industry News
Aug 30,23

Thermax, a leading conglomerate providing systems, products and services in the areas os waste heat recovery, waste to energy, green power and steam generation, air pollution abatement, process improvement chemicals, solar energy, water treatment and recycling. B C Mahesh, Executive Vice President and BU Head – Industrial Products, Thermax Limited, in this interview shares that the company has signed MoU with Australian green energy firm, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) to explore green hydrog

Thermax’s facility in Sri City received Platinum rating from Cll – IGBC

Kindly brief us about your company.

Thermax Limited is a leading conglomerate in the energy and environment space and a trusted partner in energy transition. Our extensive portfolio includes sustainable solutions in clean air, clean energy, clean water, and chemicals. Backed by our longstanding industry partnerships across multiple sectors, we have cultivated strong expertise in audit, consulting, execution, and maintenance coupled with digital solutions, ensuring a unified energy-management experience. Leveraging our distinctive engineering capabilities, Thermax converts costs to profits while protecting the environment – a win-win for industry and society at large. We operate through 14 manufacturing facilities across India, Europe, and Southeast Asia and have 37 wholly owned Indian and international subsidiaries.

How has Thermax embraced sustainability and innovation in its manufacturing processes?

Offering sustainable solutions to the world, at Thermax, we are cognisant of our responsibility to utilise resources efficiently, manage operational impact, and minimise our footprint on the environment. We protect natural capital through our Sustainability Policy, which acts as the guiding force for all our physical properties and manufacturing activities. Processes needed for better resource management are being implemented and improved. Environmental care and concern are promoted by engaging with all stakeholders on green measures and healing of damaged ecosystems.

As Thermax’s operations depend extensively on energy and other natural resources, we are conscious of adopting renewable resources into our operations while being frugal on the use of non-renewable materials. Focus on sustainable technologies helps the company to reduce operating costs and increase operational efficiencies. This approach helps in building trust with all our stakeholders.

Sustainability is imbibed in every process, right from design, manufacturing, to disposal of the product, and infrastructure development activities. Substantial efforts have been made in sourcing energy-efficient equipment to enhance resource conservation – whether energy or water.

Our energy and water consumption footprint in FY 2022-23 was:

8 per cent of energy consumption is contributed by renewable energy
Installed rooftop solar plants with a combined capacity of 2.17 MWp at Savli, Jhagadia, Sri City and at Pune offices
Harvested 25,490 m3 of rainwater during the year
Achieved 5,665 tCO2e of carbon emission reduction
Saved 19,424 GJ of energy
Incurred Rs 4.14 crore capex on carbon footprint reduction-related projects
9 per cent reduction in water consumption at domestic manufacturing units
2,49,510 m3 of water reused and recycled
Planted 6,080 saplings
Achieved 93 per cent of waste recycling rate during the year
Single-use plastic free certification received from the Confederation of Indian Industry for the Savli plant

In a rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, how does Thermax ensure its manufacturing facilities remain adaptable and responsive to changing market demands and technological advancements?

At Thermax, the production lines and manufacturing processes are engineered to be inherently versatile, allowing us to swiftly pivot manufacturing operations in response to changing demands. This flexibility also enables us to cater to various customer needs without compromising on quality or efficiency. For example, as market demands and business priorities shifted, we skillfully repurposed our TBWES factory in Shirwal. Originally intended for producing supercritical boilers, the facility now manufactures state-of-the-art waste-to-energy boilers.

Moreover, by embracing eco-friendly practices and incorporating smart manufacturing principles, Thermax not only enhances its agility but also reduces its environmental footprint. Our world-class manufacturing facility in Sri City has received a ‘Platinum’ rating from Cll - Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for meeting energy and environment standards in line with global benchmarks. The Quality Circle Forum of India (QCFI) awarded the same plant with the 5S Platinum Certification for the year 2022-23.

We also actively collaborate with industry and technology majors in the areas of energy and environment to provide cutting-edge technologies and solutions. To expand our new energy portfolio, we have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australian green energy firm, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) to explore green hydrogen projects, including new manufacturing facilities in India.

Additionally, our workforce is key to the company’s success. Therefore, we invest significantly in continuous training and upskilling programmes to ensure that our employees are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of new technologies and market trends.

According to you, what are some growth opportunities and challenges in the Indian market in heating and cooling equipment industry?

Growth Opportunities: India's thrust towards sustainability and energy efficiency unveils a promising avenue. Industries are switching to innovative solutions for a sustainable and greener tomorrow. Today, a sea change is seen in how organisations treat sustainability as an important business goal. With decades of experience, at Thermax, we are constantly innovating to bring out technologies that strike the right balance between growth and the environment and facilitate the energy transition journey of our customers.

Some of the unique solutions we have in the heating space include Flexisource - a solution that can combust several types of waste fuels, providing higher fuel flexibility to customers; Thermotron™, an electric boiler from Thermax that helps meet sustainability goals by accelerating industrial decarbonisation; reciprocating grate technology for combustion of biomass.

The latest offering in the cooling equipment space that works on the principle of waste heat recovery, is Xtra Performance Series of vapour absorption machine that is more productive by 15 per cent to 18 per cent and reduces LiBr consumption by 14 per cent. Another offering is a multi-effect low steam pressure chiller catering to low-pressure steam, which can be extracted across a range of processes and used for chilling needs.

The integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power provides fertile ground for the amalgamation of renewable-powered heating and cooling solutions. Thermax, adept in offering solar and wind-solar hybrid farms and energy storage solutions, stands poised to seize this burgeoning market segment.

Challenges: While opportunities abound, the journey is accompanied by certain challenges. Navigating the landscape of new technologies demands concerted efforts to raise awareness and comprehension. Educating stakeholders about the advantages of sustainable and energy-efficient systems remains paramount to overcoming initial hesitations and stimulating market growth.

The transition to advanced heating and cooling technologies sometimes entails upfront capital investment. Convincing enterprises to embrace these solutions for long-term gains necessitates illustrating cost savings and return on investment with clarity. Our reputation for delivering cost-effective and efficient solutions equips the company to address these challenges.

In an evolving regulatory milieu, adhering to environmental standards poses a constant concern. Successfully manoeuvring through intricate compliance requirements necessitates a profound grasp of regulatory nuances. Our unwavering commitment to aligning products with stringent regulations reassures customers that its solutions meet legal and environmental imperatives.

What are your growth plans for the coming future?

At Thermax, we stand as a trusted partner in the energy and environmental sectors. As the world undergoes energy transition, we are working with customers across industries to help them navigate this path swiftly with energy-efficient and innovative solutions. We plan to continue focussing on solutions such as waste-to-energy, waste heat recovery, biomass-based offerings, green hydrogen, solar/wind hybrid farms, and battery storage systems and develop/explore newer energy alternatives. The company is also considering investments and fostering partnerships in this direction.