Volvo’s truck assembly plant in Virginia is now powered by decomposing garbage.
All of the electricity used by Volvo’s New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin, Va., is generated by methane gas produced at 13 landfills in the region, according to a statement from the company.
Volvo’s New River Valley assembly plant is now powered by landfill methane.The fossil fuels previously used to generate the NRV plant’s electricity in 2013 produced 40,408 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Volvo’s electricity provider now uses landfill gas to produce power for the plant that otherwise would have required fossil fuels to produce, making the plant carbon neutral.
“We are proud that Volvo’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond producing fuel-efficient trucks,” said Göran Nyberg, president, Volvo Trucks North American Sales & Marketing. “Our customers can be assured that we strive for energy efficiency every step of the way.”
Carbon neutral electricity is the latest milestone in the NRV plant’s sustainability work. Plant management and employees have worked together to identify and implement various initiatives to reduce the plant’s CO2 footprint through energy efficiency.
Some notable results of those efforts include capturing solar heat absorbed on an exterior wall of the plant to provide heating and removing the lighting from vending machines throughout the plant. These initiatives resulted in a reduction of energy intensity by 30 percent.
