Volvo Construction Equipment installs solar panels at Shanghai plant

Together with State Grid Shanghai Integrated Energy Service Co, a subsidiary of the State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Company, 18,500 square meters of photovoltaic solar panels and devices have been installed on the roof of the assembly and fabrication workshops at Volvo CE’s plant in Shanghai. The panels are designed to generate 1.87*106 kWh of green energy and save 1,235 tons of CO2 emissions every year. 

The project is one of many the company is undertaking as part of its global commitment to achieve net zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, as part of its Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Volvo CE has also set the interim goal to cut emissions by half in its operations based on the 2019 baseline and achieve a 30% absolute reduction in the use of its products. 

Specializing in the production of crawler excavators, the Shanghai plant is an important facility in Volvo CE’s global operations and one of three the company has located in China. The introduction of renewable solar power will reduce CO2 emissions to 1,292 tons, a 50% reduction from a 2019 baseline. In its efforts to become more sustainable, the plant is also implementing energy conservation and emission reduction solutions amongst other initiatives. 

“This investment in our Shanghai plant is an important milestone in our decarbonization transformation,” says Robert Li, Head of Volvo CE China Operations. “It was important for us to collaborate with the right partner who shares our vision and is committed to helping us implement the right technology solution and service for our business. Introducing photovoltaic solar panels will enable us to increase renewable energy use at the plant from 33% to 75% and help us meet our future environmental targets.”

Volvo CE is committed to leading the transformation of its industry by producing fossil-free machines and driving more sustainable ways of working. This investment in Shanghai in another exciting step forward in its journey.