Maruti Suzuki set to invest Rs 450 crore for renewable energy projects

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3 min read Last Updated : Jun 05 2024 | 3:23 PM IST


Maruti Suzuki India has on Wednesday announced an investment of Rs 450 crore towards renewable energy projects, such as solar power and biogas, over the next three years, starting from the current financial year.


The move aims to enhance the company’s environmental sustainability efforts and transition its operations towards greater eco-friendliness.


Investment in FY24


During FY24, the company allocated Rs 120.8 crore towards renewable energy projects. As part of its renewable energy strategy, the automotive market leader has initiated operations at a biogas facility within its Manesar plant, using internal resources such as food waste and Napier grass.


This initiative is in alignment with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ‘Waste to Energy’ programme, the company said.


Greenfield manufacturing sites


Maruti intends to increase its production capacity to four million units by 2031, aiming to double its current capacity. Two greenfield manufacturing sites are in progress: The first is located in Kharkhoda, Haryana, and the second in Gujarat.


The pilot biogas facility at Manesar is engineered to generate 0.2 tonnes of biogas daily, with a projected output of around 100,000 standard cubic metres of biogas in FY25. This initiative is expected to mitigate around 190 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.


The company said that it will use food waste from its canteens along with Napier grass as raw material. The biogas plant will power the manufacturing operations at the Manesar site, while the remaining organic residue will be repurposed in horticulture, establishing a zero-discharge model effectively.

Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director and chief executive officer, Maruti Suzuki, said, “Energy is one of the critical inputs in the manufacturing process. As we ramp up our production capacity from around 2 million to 4 million by 2030-31, we are also accelerating our efforts to increase the share of sustainable and renewable energy sources across our operations. This is in line with Suzuki’s ‘Environment Vision 2050’ and government of India’s renewable energy focus.”


He further said that the biogas facility in Manesar marks another stride towards nurturing a cleaner and more sustainable energy environment within the company and across the industry.


Solar power facility


Meanwhile, the local division of the Japanese automotive manufacturer is increasing its solar power capabilities at its Manesar and Kharkhoda factories as part of its initiative to shift towards environmentally friendly manufacturing practices.


In FY24, it raised its solar capacity to 43.2 MWp (Megawatt peak) and is currently on schedule to add the solar capacity by 15 MWp at the Manesar facility and 20 MWp at the upcoming Kharkhoda facility within the next two years.


This effort aims to achieve a total solar capacity of 78.2 MWp by FY26. The company stated that these projects are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, the company said.

First Published: Jun 05 2024 | 3:23 PM IST