ICICI Bank installs facility to make drinking water from atmospheric moisture

In a significant step towards driving sustainability into its operations, ICICI Bank has announced the adoption of Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology across key office locations – a technology which uses atmospheric moisture to convert into potable drinking water for its employees.

The bank has installed multiple AWG units in collaboration with an indigenous private player to produce almost 8,000 litres of potable water a day from atmospheric moisture, which will be used to meet the drinking water needs of about 4,200 employees at five office locations – one each in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai and two in Chennai. This will significantly reduce the bank’s reliance on bottled water and reduction of single-use plastics, driving its sustainability goals.

Harnessing air to create clean drinking water

The AWG systems operate by drawing in ambient air and cooling it to condense the water vapour present, thereby producing water. This harvested water is then passed through a multi-stage filtration and purification process to ensure it meets safe drinking water standards. Finally, essential minerals are added to enhance both the taste and nutritional profile of the water.

These units are designed to function effectively year-round, operating within a wide range of ambient temperatures (18°C to 45°C) and humidity levels (25% to 100%). This ensures a steady and reliable water supply, even in changing weather conditions.

Sustainability rooted in the 4R principle

“At ICICI Bank, we are committed to conducting our business in a sustainable and responsible manner, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of our operations,” said Soumendra Mattagajasingh, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at ICICI Bank.

“Our environmental strategy is anchored in the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Responsible disposal. It is estimated that the atmosphere contains several times fresher water in the form of vapour than all the rivers on Earth. By using AWG technology, we aim to harness this renewable resource, reduce our use of packaged water, and advance our sustainability efforts,” he added.

A broader environmental commitment

The adoption of AWG units is one part of ICICI Bank’s wider Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. The bank has set a target to achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 1* and Scope 2** emissions by the financial year 2032.

It has also made considerable progress in green building certifications, with over 180 locations covering nearly 4.95 million square feet certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) as of 31 March 2024.

In FY2024, the ICICI Service Centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai was recognised as a Net Zero Waste site. The bank has also significantly increased its consumption of renewable energy, reaching 75.73 million kWh in FY2024 — a fourfold increase from the previous year.

Beyond its own facilities, ICICI Bank supports wider environmental initiatives. Since FY2022, it has planted approximately 3.7 million trees and created a water harvesting capacity of 25.8 billion litres annually in schools and community water bodies.

*Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organisation.

**Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling.

Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Mint.