AsiaElec: Japanese engine-maker goes green in India

A leading Japanese engine-maker operating in India, Yanmar Engine Manufacturing India (YEMI), has unveiled a small-scale project initially aimed at powering a portion of its Tamil Nadu-based factory, with the added benefit of reducing operating costs.

The move is one of many being discussed in Japanese business circles in India, with localised small-scale rooftop solar projects being readied to help in overall operating efficiency, whilst also contributing to regional and national reductions in carbon footprints.

The YEMI project, in conjunction with TotalEnergies ENEOS, a French-Japanese joint venture company, is a 1-MW rooftop solar system.

As small as it is at present, according to sources at the company, the project will have the capacity to supply enough energy to cover around 30% of its industrial engine line production. 

Speaking after the installation was completed, Mr. Varun Khanna, managing director of YEMI, said: “The installation of this solar photovoltaic generation system underscores Yanmar's long-standing commitment to sustainable operations.” He continued “(W)ith this investment, we continue Yanmar's goal to realise a sustainable future with access to powerful, highly efficient and affordable engine technologies as well as implementing systems that can make optimal use of diverse energy sources to reduce the burden on the environment."

The installation consists of more than 2,200 panels, and when fully operational will also help to cut YEMI’s local carbon footprint by an estimated 1,200 tonnes per year (tpy) of CO2, according to reports. In East India this is a figure equivalent to the annual output of around 200 homes.

Financed in whole by the Singapore-based TotalEnergies ENEOS Renewables Distributed Generation Asia, director of Yanmar Gavin Adda said of the project: “TotalEnergies ENEOS takes pride in providing the best solutions to its customers. We are pleased to partner with Yanmar to provide a solution that fulfils both its environmental sustainability and cost-saving goals.”