Maruti Suzuki India plans to invest nearly Rs 450 crore over the next three years in renewable energy initiatives.
Maruti Suzuki also announced the commencement of a pilot biogas plant at its Manesar facility for the fiscal year 2024-25.
This initiative aligns with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ‘Waste to Energy’ programme, as stated by the company.
In FY 2023-24, Maruti Suzuki invested Rs 120.8 crore towards renewable energy projects, including solar power and biogas. The company has now increased its investment nearly fourfold to Rs 450 crore.
The pilot biogas plant is designed to produce 0.2 tonnes of biogas daily. “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,” said Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India.
This move supports Suzuki’s ‘Environment Vision 2050’ and the Indian government’s focus on renewable energy, Takeuchi added.
The pilot plant is expected to generate about 1 lakh standard cubic meters of biogas in FY2024-25, offsetting approximately 190 tonnes of CO2 annually. The biogas will be used to power the manufacturing processes at the Manesar facility, while the residual organic manure will be utilized in horticulture, making it a zero-discharge model.
“The learning from this pilot biogas plant will be implemented at our upcoming world-class manufacturing facilities,” Takeuchi noted.
Additionally, Maruti Suzuki expanded its solar capacity to 43.2 MWp (megawatt peak) in the fiscal year 2023-24, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.