Maruti Suzuki Commissions 300 kW Green Hydrogen Plant at Manesar

Maruti Suzuki India has commissioned a 300 kW green hydrogen electrolyser plant at its manufacturing facility in Manesar, Haryana, adding another source of renewable energy to its manufacturing operations. 

Invest in Indian Markets and Unlock Future Potential With 5paisa!

Open Account Now

The pilot project, announced on September 24, is the automaker’s first green hydrogen plant. It will use surplus solar electricity available at the Manesar facility during holidays to produce hydrogen. 

The hydrogen generated at the plant will be stored and later blended with natural gas for use as a process fuel in manufacturing. 

Surplus solar power to produce green hydrogen 

The project gives Maruti Suzuki another way to use renewable electricity generated at its Manesar facility. 

Instead of leaving surplus solar power unused during holidays, the company will direct it towards green hydrogen production. 

Maruti Suzuki plans to use the experience gained from the Manesar pilot to examine a wider rollout of green hydrogen across its manufacturing facilities in Haryana and Gujarat. 

Expanding Maruti Suzuki’s renewable energy portfolio 

The green hydrogen plan is part of Maruti Suzuki’s larger endeavor to integrate multiple renewable energy sources within its manufacturing process. 

In addition to solar energy, Maruti Suzuki is also exploring renewable electricity procurement, power purchase agreement, biogas and battery energy storage solutions. 

The company is well underway with the setup of a biogas plant with a production capacity of 10 tons per day at its Kharkhoda facility. 

Additionally, the company has set up a battery energy storage facility with a capacity of 1 MWh at this plant. 

On another note, the board of directors at Maruti Suzuki has cleared four compressed biogas projects with an approximate investment cost of ₹561 crore. 

₹925 crore planned for green-energy initiatives 

Maruti Suzuki had announced in June that it planned to invest ₹925 crore in green-energy initiatives by FY2030-31, including investments in biogas projects. 

The newly commissioned hydrogen facility adds another technology to that programme. 

Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi linked the project with the government’s Green Hydrogen Mission and the company’s wider adoption of solar power, biogas and battery energy storage. 

He also pointed to carbon intensity as an increasingly important consideration for manufacturing alongside factors such as cost and quality. 

Manufacturing carbon footprint targeted at 266,000 tonnes 

Maruti Suzuki has set a target to bring down its manufacturing carbon footprint from the current 615,000 tonnes to 266,000 tonnes by FY2030-31. 

The 300 kW Manesar project is currently a pilot. The company will use its experience from the facility before expanding green hydrogen adoption at its other manufacturing locations. 

For now, the plant will turn surplus solar electricity at Manesar into hydrogen that can be stored and blended with natural gas for manufacturing use, bringing green hydrogen directly into the company’s production-energy mix.