The government today said all state-owned companies under the Department of Heavy Industry should go in for energy audits to help cut costs and reduce pollution.
"We want that the remaining PSUs (under the department) should also do it (energy audit) and in a time bound manner. This would help the companies cut down on their costs and in earning carbon credits," Ambuj Sharma, joint secretary in the department, said at a function here.
Energy auditing is a periodic assessment of efficiency of power consumption by a company. Currently, it is mandatory for state-owned heavy industries in sectors like power, cement and paper.
Secretary in the department S N Dash said only one-third of the 32 PSUs under the department had carried out energy efficiency audits.
"I know most of you (firms) have old plants and machinery which are energy guzzlers and at current juncture, we cannot afford them," Dash added.
The department not only administers central public sector enterprises like BHEL, CCI and HMT but also helps them in improving capacity utilisation, increase profitability and re-orient strategies to become more competitive.
