Sluiten

menu-img-alt vale-wave
Imagem de header interno Imagem de header interno

ROJALI

In the course of PT Vale Indonesia Tbk's operational activities, there are regular maintenance tasks and occasional repairs required for their auxiliary grid electrical network. However, when these maintenance activities are conducted, there is a potential risk of equipment failure resulting from electrical power disturbances. Such failures have the capacity to disrupt the production process significantly. To address this issue, PT Vale Indonesia Tbk previously resorted to activating the Diesel Power Plant (DPP) fueled by High Speed Diesel (HSD) for electrical support. Nevertheless, the utilization of DPP is now being reconsidered due to the non-sustainable characteristics of the fuel and its substantial impact on global warming.
PT Vale Indonesia is taking steps to create a more environmentally friendly solution through the implementation of the Alternative Hydropower Plant Supply Route Program for the Auxiliary Grid, known as ROJALI. This program involves establishing alternative route facilities at 150k substations supplied by the Larona, Karebbe, and Balambano Hydroelectric Power Plants (HPP). The ROJALI program is a recommendation program resulting from PT Vale Indonesia Tbk's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study which was prepared in 2022, where this program has an impact on the Process plant area including the Reduction Kiln unit which is the largest non-renewable cumulative energy demand (CED) hotspot in the LCA study.

The main aim is to ensure that when routine maintenance and incidental repairs are carried out on the auxiliary grid electricity network, the network still gets a direct source of electricity from the hydropower plant, eliminating the need to activate the DPP. This not only reduces reliance on finite fossil fuels but also guarantees long-term energy availability. Consequently, the ROJALI program substantially diminishes the reliance on DPP during maintenance and repairs, thereby effectively mitigating its contribution to global warming  associated with non-renewable energy sources. In contrast, hydroelectric power plants, as eco-friendly energy sources, play a pivotal role in sustainability by producing no greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants.

The ROJALI program has succeeded in integrating five circular economy principles [1], namely:

  1. Principle 1 (Adjust the input to the system commensurate with the level of regeneration capability):

ROJALI replaces the use of DPP with HPP. The program has directly implemented the point “Replacing non-renewable materials with renewable materials”. In the first semester of 2023, this program succeeded in saving HSD consumption by 42,204,960 liters.

  1. Principle 2 (Matching the output of the system to the level of absorption capacity)

The ROJALI program, which sources energy from hydropower, can in practice reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program has directly implemented the point "Replacing processes with processes with lower levels of waste/waste generation (eco-efficiency process)". In the first semester of 2023, this program succeeded in reducing GHG emissions by 77,978 tons of CO2e.

  1. Principle 4 (Maintain the value of the system's natural resources)

By switching to hydroelectric power plants, which in fact have better durability, the program has directly implemented the point "Increasing durability".

  1. Principle 5 (Reducing system size)

Through the ROJALI program, PT Vale reduces the use of HSD, which automatically reduces the need to procure goods for maintenance of environmentally unfriendly DPP units. On the other hand, we procure environmentally friendly goods for hydropower maintenance. The program has directly implemented the point “Promoting environmentally friendly procurement”

  1. Principle 6 (Designing a circular economy)

The ROJALI program is a new methodology applied at PT Vale and similar mines. The method used is by adding an alternative route sourced from hydropower for PT Vale's Auxilliary Grid electricity needs. The program has directly implemented the point “Designing new methodologies to guarantee continuous improvement”.

[1] Suárez-Eiroa, B. et al. (2019) ‘Operational principles of circular economy for sustainable development: Linking theory and practice’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 214, pp. 952–961. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.271. 

In addition, the ROJALI Program has an impact on the following aspects:

  • Impact on Environmental Aspects of ESG:

Through this program, in the first semester of 2023, we managed to conserve 787,220 GJ of energy, equivalent to a cost-saving of Rp. 585,776,817,783, which was previously spent on purchasing HSD.

  • Impact on the Company

The ROJALI program brings about substantial changes to our company's subsystems, altering process flows and providing benefits in the product value chain, including value chain optimization. During the first half of 2023, we eliminate the need to purchase HSD.

  • Impact on Consumers

    • Consumers can take part in efforts to reduce fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously.

    • Consumers get a new perspective regarding environmentally friendly products (green products).

    • Obtain a positive assessment of the company's compliance with ESG and achievement of SDG commitments.

  • Impact on Suppliers

Suppliers also experienced a positive outcome from this program, with the installation of alternative routes (ROJALI).

Foto: Vale Indonesia

  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

    • 12.2.1. Material Footprint

Principle 8.1 In project design, operation and de-commissioning, implement cost-effective measures for the recovery, re-use or recycling of energy, natural resources, and materials.

This innovation was first implemented in Indonesia in the mineral mining sector or according to the 2017-2022 Best Practice from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, it has never been implemented in the mineral mining sector.

Foto: Vale Indonesia