Volkswagen Group Africa has added 3MW of solar power to its grid at its Kariega-based manufacturing plant in the Eastern Cape, bringing the total output of renewable energy to 5.9MW.
According to a statement, the new energy addition provides enough energy to power at least 2 000 two-bedroom houses fitted with geysers and using electrical appliances.
Volkswagen Group Africa says it has invested close to R100 million in solar energy at the facility, to date. The renewable energy share at the plant increased from 1.5% in 2018, to 17.1% in 2023, which reduces the reliance on electricity supplied by the municipality.
The combined solar energy capacity can save approximately 7 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, it says.
Ulrich Schwabe, VW Group Africa production director, says the reduction in dependence on fossil fuels, which is projected to reach 23% by 2025, highlights Plant Kariega’s goal to be a zero-impact factory by 2030.
“Our efforts to reduce carbon emissions are in line with Volkswagen Group’s global ‘go to zero’ environmental strategy, aimed at achieving carbon-neutrality, which is aligned with the Paris Agreement. As a result, all Volkswagen Group plants are highly-focused on decarbonisation, with renewable energy playing a key role in this effort,” notes Schwabe.
The manufacturing plant in Kariega is the company’s largest plant outside of Germany. Kariega is an industrial town around 750km east of Cape Town.
With 3 500 employees, VWSA is the largest private employer in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
The plant, which has been building Volkswagens since 1951, stretches over 518 378m² and produces 710 vehicles per day. Apart from manufacturing engines, the Kariega plant builds the Polo Vivo and Polo, and is the sole manufacturer of the Polo GTI.
According to VW, the total number of solar photovoltaic panels across the premises now stands at 12 097.
Schwabe notes that between 2010 and 2023, the electricity usage per vehicle manufactured decreased by 54%.
Since 2010, Plant Kariega’s environmental impact has improved by 57.7%, which includes reduction in energy consumption, water, waste, solvent and carbon emissions, says VW.
The global automobile industry has been ramping up its sustainability practices, with some manufacturers setting renewable energy targets.
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