UltraTech, the cement subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group, is increasing its use of electric trucks as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The company plans to deploy around 100 electric trucks to support its logistics operations.
The electric trucks will be used to transport clinker between Dhar Cement Works in Madhya Pradesh and Dhule Cement Works in Maharashtra, covering a roundtrip distance of approximately 400 kilometres. The trucks are expected to carry 75,000 metric tonnes of clinker each month. This move is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 17,000 metric tonnes annually.
While the specific model of trucks is not mentioned in UltraTech’s announcement, images suggest that the fleet may include the Rhino 5536 electric truck from IPLTech Electric, which has a range of 185 kilometres. UltraTech had already completed a pilot project in January, using five electric trucks on the route, and has since installed charging infrastructure and trained drivers for electric truck operations.
K C Jhanwar, Managing Director of UltraTech, commented, “UltraTech is fully committed to realizing its Net Zero goal by 2050. The scale-up of EV trucks in our logistics operations underscores our commitment to drive the implementation of sustainable practices in the industry.”
Looking ahead, UltraTech plans to extend the use of electric trucks to other routes and intends to start another pilot with similar electric vehicles for transporting clinker between additional manufacturing units. The company aims to deploy 500 electric trucks by June 2025, in alignment with the Indian government’s e-FAST initiative, which aims to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission trucks.
UltraTech, with a production capacity of 156.06 million tonnes of grey cement annually, is India’s largest cement producer and the third-largest globally. The company operates 24 integrated manufacturing units, 33 grinding units, and eight bulk packaging terminals.
