New Delhi / Manesar, 05 June 2024: In a significant stride towards sustainability, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has launched a pilot biogas plant at its Manesar facility, marking a major milestone in the company’s commitment to renewable energy. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to harness in-house food waste and Napier grass as energy resources, aligning with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ‘Waste to Energy’ program.
The company has earmarked an investment of INR 450 crores over the next three years, starting FY 2024-25, to expand its renewable energy footprint. This is a substantial increase from the INR 120.8 crores invested in FY 2023-24 towards solar power and biogas projects.
The new biogas plant is expected to produce 0.2 tons of biogas daily, translating to about 1 lakh standard cubic meters of biogas in FY 2024-25. This initiative will offset approximately 190 tonnes of CO2 annually. By utilizing food waste from canteens and Napier grass, the plant embodies principles of circularity, ensuring a zero-discharge model where residual organic manure is used in horticulture.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of MSIL, emphasized the importance of this project, stating, “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 the Government of India’s renewable energy focus. The biogas plant at Manesar is another step towards fostering a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape at MSIL and the industry at large.”
In addition to the biogas plant, Maruti Suzuki is ramping up its solar capacity at the Manesar and Kharkhoda facilities. The company expanded its solar capacity to 43.2 MWp in FY 2023-24 and plans to add 15 MWp at Manesar and 20 MWp at Kharkhoda over the next two years, aiming for a total solar capacity of 78.2 MWp by FY 2025-26. These initiatives align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7, which advocates for affordable and clean energy.
Takeuchi further highlighted the company’s green energy vision, saying, “We strategically invest in our existing and upcoming facilities to ensure they are environmentally sustainable by optimizing energy consumption, integrating renewable energy sources, implementing efficient waste management protocols, and conserving water resources. The learnings from this pilot will be implemented at our upcoming world-class manufacturing facilities.”
Maruti Suzuki’s proactive steps towards renewable energy underscore its dedication to reducing its carbon footprint, enhancing energy security, and setting new benchmarks for sustainability in the automotive industry.
