Maruti Suzuki India has announced the successful installation of a 300 kW green hydrogen electrolyser plant at its Manesar manufacturing facility in Haryana. The newly established pilot plant will utilise excess solar energy from the Manesar facility, especially during the holiday period when demand for electricity is also variable, for clean green hydrogen production. Once generated, the hydrogen gas will be safely stored and later mixed with natural gas, acting as an invaluable process gas in the company’s present manufacturing operations, according to a letter of explanation filed by Maruti Suzuki with the exchanges.

Operational objectives

The plant’s strategic commissioning is undertaken specifically to enhance the overall value of the renewable power that remains unused. This approach transforms the excess clean power into hydrogen generation and establishes a sustainable energy cycle for Maruti Suzuki. 

The auto manufacturer will carefully monitor the results and effectiveness of this process. In view of the findings and learning from this pilot project, Maruti Suzuki will expand the use of green hydrogen at its various manufacturing units in both Haryana and Gujarat states and further strengthen its green technological footprint.

Capital allocation and carbon footprint reduction

This new hydrogen initiative is part of a wider, multi-faceted transformation by Maruti Suzuki to integrate a variety of renewable energy sources into its production model. Apart from hydrogen, the company is aggressively developing solar power capabilities as well, combining renewable electricity procurement with power purchase agreements (PPA), as well as advanced biogas and battery storage capacities. 

For instance, Maruti Suzuki is in the advanced stages of setting up a 10-tonnes-per-day biogas plant at its Kharkhoda plant. The firm has already installed one of 1 MWh of battery energy storage systems at the same Kharkhoda location. 

The company board has approved 4 compressed biogas projects with a projected budget of ₹561 crore, demonstrating a significant financial commitment to this vision. Moreover, Maruti Suzuki publicly announced in June that it will spend a total of ₹925 crore on these green initiatives by FY31, including all green programmes based on the biogas concept.

Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi highlighted the importance of the project, remarking that the competitiveness of the company’s manufacturing would gradually come to rely not just on low cost and high quality, but on reducing the overall carbon content of manufacturing processes. 

Hisashi Takeuchi said that their 300kW green hydrogen plant is being successfully commissioned, matching the Government of India’s wider Green Hydrogen Mission. This milestone in the continuation of the transformation to cleaner and sustainable energy solutions is further evidence of the company’s dedication to the same, along with the continued development of solar energy and biogas initiatives and the latest addition of battery energy storage systems, he added. 

Maruti Suzuki India has achieved a goal of reducing its carbon emissions during production by more than half, as its emissions level is expected to be reduced from the existing level of 615,000 tonnes to 266,000 tonnes by FY2030-31.

Conclusion

With the implementation of the 300 kW pilot plant at its Manesar site, Maruti Suzuki India will reach a critical milestone in the journey of sustainability and green manufacturing. The company is running surplus solar energy, blending with green hydrogen, biogas plants, BESS, and large capital investments that amount to several hundred crores align with the national clean energy targets. This multi-dimensional approach enables Maruti Suzuki to meaningfully lower its environmental impact and continues its journey responsibly towards its target of 266,000 tonnes of manufacturing emissions by the FY2030-31 deadline.