The Vrchlabí components plant became Skoda Auto's first CO2-neutral production site worldwide at the end of 2020. Through energy-efficiency measures and a switch to renewable energy, site emissions fell from 45,000 tonnes per year to 3,000 tonnes.
The remaining emissions are offset via certificates. Around 90% of the plant's energy now comes from renewable sources, supported by heat recovery, recycling and use of CO2-neutral methane from biogas.
The company reduced annual CO2 emissions at Vrchlabí from 45,000 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes. Last year, 41,500 MWh of the plant's 47,000 MWh total energy came from renewable sources, about 90%.
Efficient energy management saved more than 2,000 MWh of thermal energy and almost 1,500 MWh of electricity in one year. Since 2019 all production waste at Vrchlabí has been recycled as material or heat.
› Skoda Auto's components plant in Vrchlabí to be CO2 neutral from the end of 2020
› CO2 emissions reduced from 45,000 tons per year to 3,000 tons, mainly thanks to renewable energy
› Other Skoda Auto production sites are also aiming for CO2 neutrality
Mladá Boleslav/Vrchlabí, 6 October 2021 – The components plant in Vrchlabí has been Skoda Auto’s first CO2-neutral production site worldwide since the end of 2020. To achieve this, the carmaker systematically reduced energy consumption and switched to renewable energy. In doing so, the company was able to cut CO2 emissions at the plant from 45,000 tonnes annually to the current level of 3,000 tonnes. The remaining emissions are offset through compensation measures and CO2 certificates. Skoda Auto has been producing the DQ 200 7-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG) at the Vrchlabí site since 2012. 2,300 units are produced there every day, and the three millionth DQ200 gearbox was produced in 2019.
“As a car manufacturer, we have a special responsibility for environmental and climate protection. We have set ourselves a target by achieving CO2 neutrality at our high-tech Vrchlabí site and we are showing where we are heading in terms of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency.”
The remaining CO2 emissions are offset by purchasing CO2 certificates. By sponsoring, Skoda Auto is supporting climate protection projects, including the production of renewable energy in India and the conservation of tropical forests.
At the Vrchlabí site, efficient energy management saved more than 2,000 MWh of thermal energy and almost 1,500 MWh of electricity in the last year cited. Heating circuits not used in production were closed, intelligent energy-saving room temperature regulation was introduced, air supply management was optimized and lighting was aligned with operating hours. The company also started using CO2-neutral methane from biogas plants in Vrchlabí instead of natural gas.
Skoda Auto is investing in climate protection at other locations as well, commissioning one of India’s largest solar roof systems at its Pune plant by the end of 2019 and building the Czech Republic’s largest photovoltaic rooftop system at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav. At the combined heat and power plant there, 30% of the fuel needed to generate electricity comes from renewable sources; the company plans to use only CO2-neutral biomass and biogas by the end of the decade.
The automaker aims to reduce model emissions by more than 50% by 2030 compared to 2020 and increase the share of fully electric models in Europe to between 50% and 70%, depending on market developments. By 2030, Skoda Auto will add at least three fully electric models to its product portfolio.
Skoda Auto is also committed to reforestation; since 2007 it has planted one tree for every car sold in the Czech Republic, reaching over one million trees by the end of the referenced year. On the grounds of its three Czech plants, more than 1,400 trees and over 27,000 square metres of hedges and shrubs support climate protection and biodiversity.