Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has commenced a pilot biogas plant at its Manesar facility to harnesses the untapped potential of in-house food waste and Napier grass as resources, aligning with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s ‘Waste to Energy’ programme.
In FY24, the company invested INR 120.8 crore in renewable energy initiatives like solar power and biogas. It plans to increase this investment to approximately INR 450 crore over the next three years starting FY25, significantly boosting its environmental sustainability efforts.
The pilot plant is designed to produce 0.2 tonne of biogas daily, with an anticipated output of about one lakh standard cubic meters of biogas in FY25. This will offset approximately 190 tonne of CO2 annually. The plant will use food waste from canteens and Napier grass as raw materials, providing energy for the Manesar facility's manufacturing processes. The residual organic manure will be utilised in horticulture, making it a zero-discharge model.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, MSIL, said, “Energy is a critical input in the manufacturing process. As we ramp up our production capacity, we are accelerating our efforts to increase the share of sustainable and renewable energy sources across our operations. The biogas plant at Manesar is a step towards fostering a cleaner and more sustainable energy landscape at MSIL and the industry at large.”
Maruti Suzuki is also transitioning to green manufacturing practices at its Manesar and Kharkhoda facilities. The company expanded its solar capacity to 43.2 MWp in FY24 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 FY26. These initiatives are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7, the company noted.
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