National Aluminium Company has inaugurated a Research & Technology Centre at Bhubaneswar to boost research initiatives, including development of new products & alloys. Nalco has already set a niche for itself in the field of R&D in the aluminium industry of the country. The new Research and Technology Centre of the company would further augment its efforts to meet the R&D requirements of the future and provide immense competitive benefits. Nalco R&D center has already registered 29 patents of which five have been commercialised. The Nalco chief said given the need for change to ensure sustainability, the company has taken up various R&D initiatives. It has entered into an R&D Co-operation Agreement with Rio Tinto Alcan for development of technology which aims to reduce energy consumption at the smelter by about 5%.