ITC has always been a frontrunner in adopting eco-responsible processes, much ahead of legislation - setting benchmarks for the industry to follow.

Some of our accomplishments include:

1. ITC was India's first mill to adopt ECF technology, ahead of legislation
2. India's first mill to adopt Ozone bleaching - and 5th in the world. This has helped us drastically reduce the volume and toxicity of effluent discharged, as well reduced the consumption of certain chemicals in the process.
3. The use of Superbatch digestors has helped us reduce specific power consumption from   35kWh/BD MT to 25kWh/BD MT, while reducing MP steam consumed from 1480 kg/BD MT of pulp to less  than half of this.
4. Since its inception, the Bhadrachalam unit has won over 85 awards - 52 of which are in the fields of Environment/ Energy and Water Management

 

In line with its philosophy of sustainable growth,  ITC invests constantly in up-gradation of technology which is cleaner and greener. The focus on improving the operational efficiencies combined with up-gradation of technology has made the operations of PSPD environmentally friendly. The "Three Leaves" rating awarded by Centre for Science and Environment (2004), Green Tech Environment Excellence award, and "Golden Peacock" award are testimonies to these efforts and achievement.

ITC PSPD has 4 manufacturing units - Bhadrachalam, Kovai, Tribeni and Bollarum - each one following exemplary practices in environmental responsibility.

Each manufacturing unit specializes in a range of products. Together, these units produce more than 550000 TPA of paper and paperboards that meet stringent quality requirements across the world. All four manufacturing units are ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified and meet strict Environment, Health and Safety norms.

The facility in Bhadrachalam is India's largest integrated pulping and paperboard manufacturing unit. This unit is India's largest integrated pulping and paperboard manufacturing unit. It boasts of equipment supplied by internationally renowned suppliers for pulping processes, paper machines, web detection & inspection systems, and finishing & packing lines. Currently the unit produces high-end virgin and recycled boards for packaging and graphic applications, as well as writing, printing and copier papers.

This unit has been the industry leader in adopting green technology - it was the first in India to adopt the use of ECF (Elelmental Chlorine Free) technology for the bleaching process and also the first to move to the superior Light ECF technology.

The "Green" Boiler is another significant step towards ensuring cleaner technology. This boiler depends on non-traditional, renewable bio mass for fuel - thereby reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by over 100,000 tonnes per annum. We have also installed a producer gas plant that generates producer gas from solid waste and helps reduce the existing boiler's demand on fossil fuel, and encourages reuse of process waste.

The Kovai unit currently focuses entirely on recycled boards, servicing requirements for both greyback and whiteback recycled boards. This unit helps ITC to consume waste, and convert it into high quality paperboards for packaging and graphic applications. The consumption of waste by this unit helps ITC achieve "Solid Waste Recycling Positive" status. 

The Units Bhadrachalam and Kovai are FSC Chain of Custody certified.

The Tribeni unit specializes in fine papers and tissues and the product range from this unit comprises paque papers for fine printing like the Bible, dictionaries, cigarette tissues, medical grade papers, anti-rust papers, electrical insulation papers, decor surface, printing and barrier papers.

The Bollaram unit manufactures specialty boards such as cast coated papers and boards, poly extrusion coated barrier boards and C2S art boards and brief cards.

 

Technological Improvements undertaken at our units

Bleaching Process

ITC PSPD is a pioneer in employing advanced cleaner technologies for the protection of the environment. For the first time in India, a pulping line using Elemental Chlorine Free technology was commissioned in 2002 at Unit Bhadrachalam, replacing the fiber lines using Chlorine gas for bleaching. This technology has considerably reduced the AOX, COD and BOD in the effluent. The quality of effluent discharged is such that aquatic life thrives in the effluent.

In 2008, ITC PSPD once again for the first time in India installed a new Fiber Line with superior Ozone bleaching technology and also upgraded the ECF bleaching to Ozone bleaching process.

Adoption of this new technology has made the pulping process much more environmentally friendly. The AOX in effluent is reduced to 0.0064 kg/t whereas the average discharge level by Indian pulp and paper mill is 0.46 to 0.8 kg/t.

Pulping Process

The pulping process in any paper mill is highly thermal energy intensive and PSPD has invested in improving the efficiency of this process, thus reducing the consumption of steam. The process of using conventional batch digesters was replaced by latest Superbatch technology, which reduced the specific steam consumption, improved the quality of pulp and reduced the generation and release of non condensable gases which is the main source of odour in pulping process.

Reducing Carbon foot print

Even though its carbon emission, at 1.6t/ t of board, is the lowest in the country ITC PSPD is committed to maximize the usage of energy generated from renewable sources and to reduce the carbon dioxide emission. Towards meeting this commitment, ITC installed a boiler of 90 tph capacity at Bhadrachalam, designed to use internally generated bio-mass like bark, chip dust etc. By using bio-fuels in place of coal the carbon dioxide emission is reduced by about 2.0 lacs t/year and the usage of coal by about 1.0 lac t/year.

Water Conservation

Recycling of back water being an essential requirement to reduce consumption of fresh water, a filter employing advanced technology that prevents the clogging of filter cloth was installed in Unit Kovai. This enabled the units to recycle additional 2000 m3/day of back water and reduce the usage of fresh water.

Conservation of Energy

Some of the technologies used by all the units to conserve energy are

In the constant Endeavour to conserve energy all the units regularly conduct energy audits by specialist and adopt conservation techniques and technology.

Colour removal from effluent

Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology was adopted in Bhadrachalam for effluent treatment, which resulted in significant reduction in colour of treated effluent.

Environmental Performance

Company's positive carbon foot print is continuously enlarged through energy conservation, use of renewable source of energy and mitigating the adverse effect of climate change.Water being a serious sustainability concern, efficient water management is one of the key imperatives for sustainable growth.