Volvo’s reports that its bus plant in Borà¥s, Sweden, is now one of the first bus production facilities that relies solely on renewable energy, with its sources including hydropower and biofuels.
Since this Volvo Buses production plant solely relies on renewable energy for its operation, it has been certified by Volvo as a “Renewable Energy Facility.” “We are of course very proud that we have reduced our climate impact by only using renewable sources and all the energy we purchase is fossil-free. The electricity comes from hydropower, our district heating is provided by biofuels, and the fork-lift trucks in the factory run on electricity or HVO, which is a renewable fuel,” says Joakim Wretman, production manager at the Volvo Buses Borà¥s plant.
The factory’s overall energy consumption has also been reduced by 15% in just the past few years, Volvo says. “For instance, we have replaced conventional fluorescent bulbs with LED light fittings and the manufacturing plant’s lighting is regulated automatically so it is only active during actual production. We also ensure that no electricity-consuming equipment remains switched on when it is not needed,” adds Wretman.
To reduce the plant’s climate footprint, cooperation is needed. Another example is the Borà¥s factory’s participation in Autofreight, a project designed to reduce transportation between the Viared Logistics Park and the Port of Gothenburg. This solution helped cut CO2 emissions by about 30%, the company says.
Reducing the climate impact of production is one of several aspects of Volvo Buses’ environment-enhancing work. “We regard our products in a lifecycle perspective and work tirelessly to reduce our environmental impact at every stage, from production, to daily operation, reuse and recycling. Up-to-date examples are our ongoing projects for repurposing our electric bus batteries, which can now enjoy a second life as energy storage units in homes,” explains Andreas Carlén, energy efficiency and environment director at Volvo Buses.
This article was adapted from one previously published on Smart Energy International and was published here with permission.
