Ford and GM use renewable energy to automobile plants

Ford of Europe has built two more wind turbines to expand the car company’s onsite wind power portfolio throughout Germany and the UK. The 150-meter tall turbines will supply huge electric capacity to Ford’s Genk station in Belgium.

Following the construction of a new 1.4/1.6-litre Duratoq TDCi engine production line next year, the car manufacturer informed that it is also planning a third turbine to be installed near Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Centre.

In the UK, the 270-acre Dunton Technical Centre of Ford is 100 per cent powered by renewable energy sources, including hydro, waste and wind generation. The car company also uses solar energy to power its Bridgend engine plant in Wales.

Meanwhile, the automaker is sourcing green electricity from three hydroelectric facilities to meet Ford’s power requirements in Cologne, including its head office and production facilities at the Niehl plant. Ford revealed that its Technical Centre in Merkenich uses green energy that is supplied by a utility provider in Germany. According to the car manufacturer, the pro-environment initiatives in Merkenich and Niehl reduce the car manufacturer’s yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 190,000 tonnes.

While Ford has mainly focused on generating electricity from wind energy, General Motors (GM) has turned to solar panels to power its facilities. In the US, GM has installed 1.2MW of solar panels that can supply about 20 per cent of its White Marsh car assembly plant’s electricity needs. The automobile company also set up solar panels at its Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga parts warehouses in California, believed to be two of the largest solar panels in the US.