Monday 13 July 2020

Czech factory to become ŠKODA’s first carbon-neutral facility in the world

A factory in Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, is set to become the first ŠKODA site in the world to produce cars in a carbon-neutral way.

The plant has replaced natural gas with biomethane, sourced 88% of its electricity from renewables and offset the remaining emissions.

The facility has also renovated its heating system, an upgrade which reduced annual energy consumption by 6,700MWh.

It has also introduced other measures such as closing unused heating circuits, regulating room temperatures to save energy and specifically regulating the supply airflow.

In addition, the lighting in some areas of the factory premises is linked to operating hours.

A thermal imaging camera is also used to detect heat loss not only around the building but also within the heating system - by detecting this loss, it is possible to fix the leaks and thus save heat and consequently carbon emissions.

The firm has also encouraged environmental conservation initiatives such as the planting of almost 40,000 trees near the Vrchlabí site.

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, said: “From the second half of this decade, we will exclusively be using carbon-neutral energy to produce vehicles and components at our Czech sites.

"The Vrchlabí plant is set to be the first carbon-neutral ŠKODA AUTO production facility, making it a true global pioneer. It will thereby also fully live up to its role as a high-tech location in terms of environmental compatibility and energy efficiency.”