Maruti Suzuki Launches Hydrogen Plant in Manesar; Factory Operations to Run on Clean Gas
Maruti Suzuki India has commissioned a 300-kilowatt green hydrogen plant at its facility in Manesar, Haryana. The company has set this up as a pilot project.
This initiative will promote the use of clean, low-pollution energy in the company’s production processes. The green hydrogen produced at this plant will be blended with natural gas and used as fuel.
Utilizing Surplus Solar Energy from Holidays
The plant will enable better utilization of solar energy generated at the Manesar facility. On holidays, when factory operations are reduced or halted, solar energy often goes underutilized. Now, this surplus solar energy will be used to produce hydrogen.
The generated hydrogen will be stored and subsequently used as fuel for factory operations. The company stated that, based on the experience gained from this pilot project, it plans to expand the use of green hydrogen technology at its other manufacturing units in Haryana and Gujarat in the future.
Goal to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, stated that the company is simultaneously working on various clean energy technologies for its manufacturing operations.
He noted that the green hydrogen plant aligns with the Government of India’s Green Hydrogen Mission. In addition to solar energy, the company is also working on technologies such as biogas and battery energy storage systems.
The company aims to reduce carbon emissions from its manufacturing operations from the current level of approximately 6.15 lakh tonnes to 2.66 lakh tonnes by the 2030-31 financial year.
Focus on Solar Energy and Biogas
Maruti Suzuki is taking several measures to reduce carbon emissions at its plants. These include setting up its own solar power plants, procuring renewable energy from government sources, and entering into power purchase agreements for solar and wind energy. The company is also setting up a biogas plant with a daily capacity of 10 tonnes at its Kharkhoda facility in Haryana, with plans to make it operational in the 2026-27 financial year. Additionally, a 1 MWh battery energy storage system was recently commissioned at the Kharkhoda plant.
Significant Investment in CBG Projects
Maruti Suzuki has also begun using Compressed Biogas (CBG) in its production processes. The company’s board recently approved four CBG projects, with a total budget of approximately ₹5,610 million allocated for them. Meanwhile, Maruti’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, has planned to set up 10 biogas plants in India in collaboration with the NDDB and organizations associated with the dairy industry; three of these plants are already operational in Gujarat.
