Automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki said it has laid the foundation stone for a 5 MW Photovoltaic solar power plant at its manufacturing facility in Gurugram.
The solar plant is likely to be commissioned in FY 2019-20, Maruti Suzuki said.
Maruti Suzuki said that it will invest around Rs 24 crores and will offset carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of over 5,390 tonnes annually for the next 25 years.
This is the second grid based solar power plant for Maruti Suzuki. The first solar power plant was set up in 2014 at Manesar, Haryana, with 1 MW capacity. The solar power plant was further expanded to 1.3 MW in 2018.
The energy requirement at the company’s manufacturing facilities is largely met by Natural Gas-based captive power plant, supported by grid power.
The new solar power plant will complement the power generating capability at the manufacturing plant in Gurugram, Maruti Suzuki said.
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 Gurugram facility, it added.
The solar power plant will also work as a roof at the new car parking area of the facility. While the solar panels generate clean energy, the cars parked underneath will be safe from strong climatic conditions.
“Maruti Suzuki’s 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 next 25 years”, said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.
Formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited, Maruti Suzuki is a 56.21% owned subsidiary of Japanese car and motorcycle manufacturer Suzuki Motor Corporation. Maruti Suzuki manufactures and sells popular cars such as the Ciaz, Ertiga, Wagon R, Alto K10, Swift, Celerio, Swift Dzire, Baleno and Baleno RS, Omni, Alto 800, Eeco, Ignis and S-Cross.