FY2025: Vedanta achieves record-high aluminium production with Jharsuguda smelter surpassing nameplate capacity

Vedanta Limited has been creating back-to-back headlines with a series of key updates, starting from its demerger updates and strategic expansion plans to record-high aluminium production, close to its 3 million tonnes capacity goal. For the financial year from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, Vedanta posted its aluminium production of 2,421 thousand tonnes versus 2,370 thousand tonnes in FY2024. That reflected an annual increase of 2.11 per cent, albeit lower than the growth rate of 3 per cent seen in the previous year.

Image source: Vedanta Aluminium

The slower growth rate can be attributed to a 2 per cent quarter-on-quarter drop in Q4 production, amounting to 603,000 tonnes, compared to 614,000 in Q3 FY2025. However, the year-on-year increase of 1 per cent from 598,000 tonnes helped offset the decline, maintaining a strong annual output overall.

The drop in Q-o-Q growth was observed across both of Vedanta's major smelters: the Jharsuguda and BALCO facilities. In Q4, Jharsuguda produced 456,000 tonnes and BALCO 147,000 tonnes, both down 2 per cent from the previous quarter. Yet, the smelters saw annual growth, with Jharsuguda posting a 3 per cent increase, reaching 1,830 thousand tonnes, and BALCO rising by 1 per cent to 592,000 tonnes.

Besides being a smelter with a new high aluminium production exceeding its nameplate capacity of 1.8 million tonnes, Vedanta's Jharsuguda facility has garnered considerable attention for converting an entire line to be operated and maintained solely by women employees. Additionally, the Jharsuguda facility achieved the ASI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard V2 (2022) Certification this fiscal year.

Vedanta's alumina production in FY2025 totalled 1,975 thousand tonnes, up by 9 per cent Y-o-Y from 1,813 million tonnes, despite a significant decline in the Q4 to 431,000 tonnes compared to 505,000 tonnes in Q3 and 484,000 tonnes Q4 FY2024. The increase in Vedanta's annual alumina output in FY2025 was a result of expanded capacity to 3.5 million tonnes at its Lanjigarh refinery, while the decline in Q4 production was due to unplanned supply chain issues in the early days of the quarter, according to the company.