Landmark Six-Year Agreement with MFL India Expands Vedanta Unit's Alternative-Fuel Fleet to 232 Commercial Units, Pioneering Heavy-Payload Mine-to-Smelter Electrification Under Net Zero 2050 Roadmap


UDAIPUR / CHANDERIYA — In a major industrial operational milestone demonstrating the commercial viability of zero-emission heavy surface transport, Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL)—a Vedanta Group company, the world’s largest integrated zinc producer, and a top-10 global silver producer—has formally finalized and operationalized a definitive six-year commercial transportation contract (extendable by an additional two years) with specialized industrial logistics provider MFL India Limited to deploy an active fleet of 30 heavy-duty battery-electric trucks (EVs) across its primary mineral logistics corridors in Rajasthan.

Under the commercial arrangement, the 30 heavy-duty electric trucks are being progressively inducted to systematically replace legacy multi-axle diesel trailers dedicated to moving heavy zinc and lead concentrates. The vehicles will run on round-the-clock commercial loops from HZL’s flagship Rampura Agucha underground mining complex in Bhilwara district—the world's largest underground zinc mining operation—to its integrated metal smelting complexes in Chanderiya (Chittorgarh district) and Dariba (Rajsamand district).

Turnkey Operational Blueprint: Captive Megawatt Charging & Corridor Sync

Heavy industrial mineral transport has long been considered one of the hardest segments to decarbonize due to extreme gross vehicle weights, abrasive road profiles, and high continuous torque requirements. To overcome the structural risks of range anxiety and high upfront vehicle acquisition costs, the partnership between Hindustan Zinc and MFL India introduces an integrated infrastructure-as-a-service operational architecture:

  • Captive High-Output Charging Hubs: MFL India is establishing, financing, and operating dedicated, high-power DC fast-charging bays and opportunity-charging stations strategically stationed at the Rampura Agucha pithead terminal, along transit bypasses, and at the smelter unloading yards in Chanderiya.

  • Synchronized Turnaround Cycles: The fast-charging infrastructure operates on dynamic fast-replenishment protocols capable of topping up battery packs during mandatory driver rest breaks, cargo weighing sequences, and automated tip-hopper discharges, ensuring that charging intervals mesh with shift changes without causing route delays.

  • Local Workforce Integration & Retraining: Addressing community labor considerations, the agreement incorporates a structured, phased driver-transition curriculum. Local commercial drivers previously operating diesel dump trucks and highway tippers are undergoing certified technical training to operate high-torque electric drivetrains, regenerative braking controls, and intelligent telematics dashboards.

Scaling Clean Industrial Logistics Across Vedanta's Asset Footprint

The deployment of the 30-truck fleet builds upon aggressive alternative-fuel logistics investments executed by Hindustan Zinc throughout FY26. Over the preceding fiscal quarters, the mining major inducted 42 electric commercial vehicles, expanding its total active green-fuel transport inventory to 232 vehicles, comprising 52 pure electric vehicles and 180 liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered heavy-duty trucks.

Hindustan Zinc pioneered battery-electric mobility in Indian heavy industry by introducing specialized battery-electric underground load-haul-dump (LHD) equipment and low-profile dump trucks at its Sindesar Khurd Mine in Rajpura Dariba. By successfully scaling electric traction from underground mining tunnels to surface highway corridors, the company is bridging the final operational gap between primary extraction and metal refining.

Running 30 heavy-duty electric trucks on high-frequency concentrate shuttles eliminates millions of liters of diesel consumption annually. This prevents over 18,000 tonnes of localized carbon dioxide emissions, while significantly reducing diesel particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10) and nitrogen oxides  along the Bhilwara-Chittorgarh highway corridor.

Executive Commentary and Strategic Leadership Perspectives

Highlighting the operational and environmental significance of the commercial rollout, Amarendu Prakash, Chief Executive Officer and Whole-time Director of Hindustan Zinc Limited, remarked:

"The future of sustainable mining will be defined not only by the vital base and precious metals we produce to power the global energy transition, but by the operational discipline, efficiency, and environmental responsibility with which we move them. The long-term commercial contract for deploying 30 electric trucks for heavy concentrate haulage marks another decisive operational step toward that goal. It proves that aggressive industrial decarbonization strengthens underlying margin competitiveness, shields our supply chains from volatile fossil fuel markets, and establishes an inclusive ecosystem where our operating partners and local mining communities grow alongside us."

Reaffirming the logistics provider’s operational commitment, Anil Thukral, Chairman and Managing Director of MFL India Limited, stated:

"We are proud to partner with Hindustan Zinc in driving this fundamental transformation across India's heavy industrial freight landscape. Decarbonizing heavy-payload bulk transport requires far more than acquiring electric vehicles; it demands a fully synchronized operational architecture encompassing high-uptime megawatt charging hubs, route scheduling algorithms, and rigorous safety standards. Together, we are proving that zero-emission heavy haulage is ready for full-scale commercial execution across India’s core industrial trade corridors."

Long-Term Macro and ESG Ramifications

The initiative directly supports Hindustan Zinc’s broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) roadmap to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or earlier. By expanding its captive renewable energy procurement to supply nearly 22% of its total operational electricity demand, the company ensures that the power feeding the EV charging hubs is increasingly generated from clean solar and wind assets across Rajasthan, providing genuine well-to-wheel carbon abatement.

Industrial analysts note that as global institutional buyers of refined zinc and silver scrutinize the embodied carbon footprints of base metals under incoming carbon border adjustment mechanisms (such as the European Union's CBAM), Hindustan Zinc’s electrified mine-to-smelter supply chain establishes an important standard for low-carbon metal provenance across the global non-ferrous commodities market.