Škoda, solar energy to reduce the carbon footprint of production
More than 5,400 photovoltaic modules have been installed at the Mladá Boleslav plant, generating over 2 GWh of emission-free electricity per year.
Škoda's path to zero emissions includes several stages; one of them is to make production at its Czech plants carbon neutral by 2030. In order to achieve the goal, various factors are decisive, including energy supply. This is why Škoda, in cooperation with ČEZ ESCO and ŠKO-ENERGO, has installed three photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the Mladá Boleslav site and the Škoda Parts Center logistics hub. With a total area of more than 10,000 m² - equivalent to more than 15 tennis courts - the new solar power plant is expected to generate more than 2 GWh of clean electricity per year, an amount of energy that would fully charge around 25,000 Škoda Enyaq iVs. Work began in February 2021 and a total of 5,468 photovoltaic modules have been installed: 3,020 on the Škoda parts centre, 1,328 in the U6C hall and 1,120 panels in the M12L hall, with a nominal output of 2,146 kilowatt-peak (kWp).
Green Production
"At Škoda Auto, we are constantly working to reduce our carbon footprint. As set out in the Next Level - Škoda Strategy 2030 plan, Green Production is a central pillar of our roadmap through this decade of transformation. The photovoltaic system is key to our ambitious but achievable goal of having carbon-neutral production in Czech Republic by 2030" explained Andreas Dick, Board Member of Škoda Auto for Production and Logistics.
Sustainable energy
The first collaboration among Škoda Auto, ČEZ ESCO and the energy supplier ŠKO-ENERGO dates back to the end of 2019, when photovoltaic modules were installed in the Škoda Service Centre in Kosmonosy covering a total area of roughly 2,200 m². This solar installation produces over 450 MWh per year, covering almost 17% of the facility's energy needs. Škoda is advancing the production of sustainable energy globally, in all its plants. In India, the photovoltaic system at the Aurangabad site has been connected to the grid since 2018. In 2022 alone, it generated more than 1,440 MWh, reducing the purchase of energy from outside by 40 per cent.
Next Level - Škoda Strategy 2030
The photovoltaic plant on the roof of the Chakan factory in Pune was expanded in February 2023. It now has a peak power of 18.5 MWp and can produce up to 26,600 MWh of electricity per year, covering up to 30% of the site's electricity consumption. The power plant thus offsets over 28% of CO2 emissions from vehicle production. These concrete actions are part of the Next Level - Škoda Strategy 2030 with which the Volkswagen Group brand has set specific targets for environmental protection through the areas GreenFactory, GreenProduct and GreenRetail. One of these is to bring production-related CO2 emissions in the three plants located in the Czech Republic to zero by 2030. The Vrchlabí plant has already achieved this goal in 2020.
Source: ŠKODA
VGI | Responsible OU: VP | Creation date: article date | Class 9.1