Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV)'s Chennai Plant to run on green power

German auto maker Daimler will power its truck and bus manufacturing factory using renewable energy from next year.

 The 400-acre manufacturing campus of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), Indian arm of Daimler, at Oragadam near Chennai meets more than 70 per cent of its electrical needs from renewable sources.

“About 16 per cent of our factory’s day-to-day energy needs are met through solar energy. Another 55-60 per cent of the energy is sourced from wind mills. Our total electrical power consumption in 2016 was 28 MWh,” Marc Llistosella, Head of Daimler Trucks Asia, told

DICV has entered into contract with wind power producers. It has set up solar panels for a total capacity of 3.3 MW at its Oragadam facility. By 2018, the factory’s power demand will be entirely met renewable energy sources. “With that,” he believes, “this will be the first automotive plant that will be run fully on green power,” he said.

Through its solar panels alone, 3,500 tonnes of CO2 are saved every year. These solar panels were made in India.

“Going green is no longer about image-building, it is about creating energy efficiency. Solar and wind energy prices are now competitive. It is just a question of whether you want it or not,” he added.