The factory is one of the oldest in North India and the first one of this tenure in Rajasthan to be conferred with the prestigious certification for its best-in-class sustainability practices
National Engineering Industries Ltd. (NEI), part of the $2.4 billion diversified CK Birla Group, has been recently awarded ‘Green Factory Building Platinum Certification’ by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for its 75-year-old manufacturing facility located in Jaipur. Spread across 75 acres, this facility comprising office blocks and factory buildings received this highest level of rating for green buildings offered by IGBC. The certification is a benchmark for sustainably designed buildings. As the oldest factory in Rajasthan to receive this certification, NEI has been making constant strides for more than a decade to transform this facility into one of the best-in-class green buildings and further support NEI’s sustainability mission.
Being one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of bearings, NEI continuously works towards improving its processes in order to be ahead of environment and efficiency-related regulatory norms. The company has ensured that they implement all the major green practices and highest standards of water and energy conservation, waste management, CO2 emissions reduction and environmental quality.
Speaking on this development, Rohit Saboo, President and CEO, National Engineering Industries Ltd., said: “It is a moment of immense pride and honour to be recognised by IGBC for the genuine efforts made by NEI going beyond the mandatory to implement sustainability measures and improve our carbon footprint. NEI believes that continuous efforts need to be made to adopt latest sustainability methods both in terms of the building as well as manufacturing. Water and energy being two of the most critical resources, we shall continue to keep our focus on implementing efficient measures like utilising solar power, rainwater harvesting, on-site water treatment and replacing old equipment to more energy-efficient machines and technology. We have also implemented digital energy monitoring systems across the plant to reduce energy consumption significantly.”
By implementing rainwater harvesting, NEI has been able to save more than 6 million litres of water in a year. Additionally, the wastewater from the factory is treated in effluent treatment plant (ETP) and the treated water is used for landscaping and soft-scaping areas within the campus. This way, there is zero discharge outside the plant. With its sustainable green building design, the facility also optimizes the natural daylight and has efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems to reduce its energy consumption by 39% overall. With its 1,500 KW rooftop solar and 100% LED lighting, the facility also contributes further towards reducing its carbon footprint by up to 38%.
NEI follows sustainable practices in its other facilities as well which are situated in Haryana and Gujarat. NEI’s Gujarat plant has also been platinum certified by IGBC in 2016.