Volvo goes for full renewable electricity at China plant

Dubai: Volvo Cars’ manufacturing plant in Chengdu, the company’s largest in China, is now powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity. This takes the maker’s global renewable electricity mix in its manufacturing network to 80 per cent.

The 100 per cent renewable electricity mix in Chengdu is the result of a newly signed supply contract and will reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by over 11,000 tonnes per year.

Until recently, the Chengdu plant sourced 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources. The new contract addresses the last 30 per cent.

It is the latest concrete step towards Volvo Cars’ ambition to have climate neutral manufacturing by 2025, part of a wider climate plan that aims to reduce the overall carbon footprint per car by 40 per cent between 2018-25.

By 2040, Volvo Cars aims to be a climate neutral company.

“Our ambition is to reduce our carbon footprint through concrete, tangible actions,” said Javier Varela, head of industrial operations and quality. “Securing a fully renewable electricity supply for our largest plant in China is a significant milestone and underlines our commitment to taking concrete, meaningful action.”