UltraTech Cement, an Aditya Birla Group subsidiary, plans to use 100 new electric vehicles to deliver materials and goods in its logistical operations.

The country's largest cement producer plans to deploy 500 electric vehicles by next June as part of the government's eFAST initiative.

The company has signed a new transport service contract to transport 75,000 tonnes of clinker per month from its integrated cement manufacturing unit Dhar Cement Works in Madhya Pradesh to its grinding unit Dhule Cement Works in Maharashtra, a distance of approximately 400 kilometers (kms) roundtrip.

The expansion follows a successful experiment that began in January, when UltraTech introduced five electric vehicles to deliver clinker along this route. 

The pilot program also includes the deployment of charging infrastructure and extensive training for truck drivers.

The corporation is also looking into other routes for deploying more EV trucks in its logistical operations. UltraTech suggests conducting another trial using a similar approach for transporting clinker between two of the company's manufacturing sites.

The delivery of clinker using these electric vehicles instead of fossil-fuel-powered trucks is expected to lower transport emissions by 17,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

KC Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement, stated that the expansion of EV trucks demonstrates the company's commitment to driving the adoption of sustainable practices and achieving the net zero target by 2050.

The corporation launched 'Green Logistics' in the form of CNG vehicles in 2021, LNG vehicles in 2022, and electric trucks in 2024. Through collaborative efforts with logistics partners, the company now has approximately 468 CNG trucks and 67 LNG trucks operational for transporting products across its production plants.