Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) is trying to minimise the environmental impact of its Indian manufacturing unit in Bidadi in Karnataka. The Japanese parent company, which has 56 plants worldwide, has initiated the Toyota 2050 Environmental Challenge.
The Challenge is not only aimed at minimising its carbon dioxide emissions, but also minimising water use, recyling that water, and harvesting rainwater. It also includes afforestation and increasing green cover.
The 432-acre factory can make 320,000 cars a year and it is one of Toyota’s ‘Eco Model Plants’ in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of environmental performance, mainly covering carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.
Of the 84 million units of electricity consumed at the plant, at present 53 million units, or nearly two-thirds, come from renewable energy sources, said Raju B. Ketkale, senior vice-president and director (product design & development, purchase and quality assurance), Toyota Kirloskar Motor. The target is to take that up to 80 per cent by 2020, he added. The eventual target is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from operations to zero.
The plants have solar panels installed on the rooftops and there’s an installation on the ground as well. Altogether the total capacity is 8.3MW. An additional 7MW is being added and would start generating power next year. ReNew Power has set up and manages the entire solar power system at the plant. Of the remaining need, TKM buys the entire power (18MW) from three solar plants at Eklara, Nirna and Wadegara and some power from other renewable sources.
Over the last year, the plant cut its total power consumption (by about 2.5 million units to 84 million units now) and also reduced the average energy used in the production of each vehicle by eight per cent, said Ketkale.
On the water consumption front, officials said that the plant meets all its water needs for nine to 10 months of the year by recycling water and through rainwater harvesting. It has two large ponds for the latter. It currently needs to source water from outside only in the driest season. The eventual target is to meet the plant’s entire need in-house.
TKM has also undertaken an intense method of increasing green cover based on ‘the survival of the fittest’ principles.
Text and pictures: Abhijit Mitra
