As India targets net zero emissions by 2070 and plans to meet 50 percent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India has taken a significant step towards green energy. In line with the VW Group’s global ‘goTOzero’ mission, the company inaugurated an 18.5 MW solar-power rooftop at its Chakan plant in Pune, Maharashtra.
Reducing Dependence on Non-Renewable Energy
The solar-power rooftop installation at the Chakan plant will generate a total of 26.6 million kWh of energy per year, covering up to 30 percent of the plant’s annual electricity requirements. This move will help ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India meet the Group’s global target of carbon neutrality at all its sites by 2030, reducing the plant’s dependence on non-renewable energy and offsetting CO2 emissions resulting from car production at the site by more than 28 percent per year.
Commitment to Carbon Neutrality
As part of the ‘goTOzero’ mission, the Volkswagen Group aims to be net carbon neutral by 2050. The Group is consistently focused on its carbon-neutrality goals across the entire global supply chain and product life cycle, including the expansion of renewable energies on an industrial scale. This move by ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India is a testament to the company’s commitment to the ‘goTOzero’ mission and efforts towards a carbon-neutral future.
Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited, said,
“The inauguration of one of the automotive industry’s largest solar-power rooftop at our Pune plant is a testament to the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to ‘goTOzero’ and our efforts towards a carbon-neutral future. This milestone, comes close on the heels of our Aurangabad facility switching to 100 percent Green Energy late last year. These initiatives are in continuation of our holistic approach towards decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and sustainable production.”
Certified as Zero Waste to Landfill and Net Water Positive Operation: ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India is already certified as a Zero Waste to Landfill and Net Water Positive Operation. The company has received a Gold standard rating by DQS India in its Water Conservation efforts both within the manufacturing facilities in Aurangabad and Pune and beyond the fence.
The inauguration of the 18.5 MW solar-power rooftop at the Chakan plant in Pune is a significant step towards sustainable production and green energy. With this augmentation in solar power, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India is reducing its dependence on non-renewable energy and contributing towards a carbon-neutral future.
