Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has launched a trial Biogas plant at its Manesar location in the financial year 2024-25, utilizing the unused potential of internal food waste and Napier grass as materials at its facility. This move is in harmony with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ‘Waste to Energy’ initiative, showcasing our commitment to eco-friendly practices and inventive waste management strategies.
During FY2023-24, the organization allocated INR 120.8 crores for implementing renewable energy projects such as solar power and biogas. It has also made a commitment to escalate this investment by about four times to INR 450 crores over three years starting from FY 2024-25. This enlarged investment will significantly enhance MSIL’s ecological sustainability pursuits.
The test facility is crafted to deliver 0.2 tons of biogas on a daily basis. The predicted production amounts to about 1 lakh standard cubic meters of biogas in FY 2024-25, equating to an offset of around 190 tonnes of CO2 annually. Embracing circularity principles, the company will utilize food waste from cafeterias and Napier grass as feedstock. The trial biogas facility will furnish energy for the production processes at the company’s Manesar plant. The leftover organic manure will be efficiently utilized in gardening, establishing a zero-discharge framework.
This initiative underscores Maruti Suzuki’s steadfast dedication to sustainable practices, proficient waste management, reduction of carbon emissions, and fortification of energy reliability.
Speaking about the upcoming green energy ventures of the company, Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited expressed, “Energy forms one of the key inputs in the production process. As we escalate our production capacity from approximately 2 million to 4 million by 2030-31, we are also hastening our efforts to boost the proportion of sustainable and renewable energy sources within our operations. This is in accordance with Suzuki’s Environment Vision 2050 and the Indian government’s emphasis on renewable energy. The introduction of the biogas facility at Manesar is another stride towards nurturing a cleaner and more sustainable energy environment at MSIL and within the sector as a whole. Just like we are integrating numerous technologies into our products, we will also prioritize various renewable energy sources to make our operations more environmentally conscious.”
Additionally, Mr. Takeuchi remarked, “We strategically invest in our existing and forthcoming infrastructures to ensure their ecological sustainability by optimizing energy usage, incorporating renewable energy sources, implementing effective waste management measures, and conserving water reserves. The insights gained from this trial will be applied at our forthcoming state-of-the-art manufacturing sites.”
Elevating solar capacity at Manesar and Kharkhoda
Maruti Suzuki is actively transitioning towards sustainable manufacturing practices at its Manesar and Kharkhoda sites. The company has augmented its solar capacity to 43.2 MWp in FY 2023-24. Simultaneously, it is on course to expand the solar capacity by 15 MWp at its Manesar facility and by 20 MWp at the upcoming Kharkhoda plant over the next two years. This progression will elevate the total solar capacity to achieve 78.2 MWp by FY 2025-26. These endeavors align with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7.
SOURCE: Maruti Suzuki
