Maruti Suzuki taps solar energy to produce cars at Gurgaon plant

Passenger vehicle market leader Maruti Suzuki India has announced plans to further harness clean energy and solar power to meet its energy needs at its manufacturing facilities across the country. The company recently laid the foundation stone for a 5 MW solar power plant at its Gurgaon facility.

The captive solar power plant, expected to be commissioned in FY2020, will see an investment of Rs 24 crore, will offset CO2 emissions in the range of 5,390 tonnes annually, for the next 25 years. This will be the second grid-based solar power plant for Maruti Suzuki, the first one having been set up in 2014 at Manesar, with 1 MW capacity and expanded to 1.3 MW in 2018. The power generated from the solar power plant will be synchronised with the captive power plant to cater to the internal energy needs of the Gurgaon plant.

Maruti Suzuki India says a unique feature of the photovoltaic solar panels of this carport-style solar power plant will work as a roof at the new car parking area. While the solar panels generate clean energy, the cars parked underneath will be protected from strong climatic conditions.

Commenting on the initiative, Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Solar energy is abundant, versatile and efficient. This solar power initiative is in line with the company’s philosophy to adopt environment-friendly technologies and lower CO2 emissions. Through this solar power plant facility, we will harness renewable energy for our business needs over the next 25 years. Maruti Suzuki is committed to expand its environment care initiatives in products, in manufacturing processes and in business operations.”

The company says a major share (95%) of its total energy use will come from cleaner and renewable sources of energy. The energy requirement at the manufacturing facilities is currently met by natural gas-based captive power plant, supported by grid power. The new solar power plant will further complement the power generating capability at the manufacturing plant.

Other energy-saving initiatives by Maruti Suzuki include:
- Installation of solar rooftop plants (3x14.5 kW) to provide LED street lighting at the Rohtak R&D facility and Gurgaon plant.
- Installation of variable refrigerant flow air-conditioners at Rohtak facility; improvement in efficiency in power plant at Gurgaon by optimising combustion air in gas turbines.
- Reducing power losses by optimising the number of transformers and its capacity in Gurgaon plant; installation of Variable Frequency Drive in chiller water circulation pumps, UF and RO spray pumps and air compressors in Manesar to reduce energy consumption.
- Use of energy-efficient drives and pumps in Dough Kneader Machine (Gurgaon) and water pumps (Manesar) respectively.
- Using energy-efficient LED lighting in Gurgaon, Manesar and R&D Centre at Rohtak.

Also read: Maruti Suzuki India clocks best-ever sales in FY2019​
Maruti Suzuki India opens 300th CV showroom​