Following the sun. Renewable energy sources: an important element of Rawlplug’s Net Zero strategy

Following the sun. Renewable energy sources: an important element of Rawlplug's Net Zero strategy Jan 3, 2023

Prudent emissions management is a key element in the quest to achieve climate neutrality. Rawlplug's Net Zero strategy is the essence of the process we are consistently implementing at our manufacturing facilities to significantly reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. Investments in renewable energy sources are an important component of this strategy.

In December 2019, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal concept, a flagship plan to make Europe climate neutral by 2050. European climate law has thus made climate neutrality a legal obligation. Rawlplug's response? Thumbs up!

What is climate neutrality, also referred to as carbon neutrality? In a nutshell, it means striking a balance between CO2, emissions and absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In order to achieve this, all global greenhouse gas emissions must be offset by reabsorption of CO2. Sounds lovely, but how do you go about it? One option assumes protecting natural carbon sinks, such as the soil, forests and oceans, which absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit. This is part of our everyday activities that involve looking after the ecosystem and biodiversity at our facilities and outside - you can read about it HERE.

Another option is based on compensating for the CO2 emitted in one sector by reducing its amount in another. One of the most important and most efficient ways to offset harmful emissions is investing in renewable energy sources. This is also something we do at Rawlplug on a daily basis!

All-natural charging

In Q3 2022, we implemented another phase of our work on the use of renewable energy sources at Rawlplug's Manufacturing Plants. This is a natural consequence of the strategy we have been pursuing for many years using the company's real estate and land.

At the Wrocław plant, we prepared PV (photovoltaic) installations with a capacity of approx. 1 MW for commissioning. The resulting green generation will be able to satisfy 11% of the Wrocław plant's total annual electricity demand of 8,000 MW. The installations, with a total surface area of 3,640 m2 , are located mostly on the roofs of the company's buildings, thus also helping to maximise the economic use of the space owned by the plant.

At the plant in Łańcut, in turn, expansion is in progress of the photovoltaic systems, with the addition of 140 kW rooftop installations and a full-scale ground-mounted PV farm with a capacity of nearly 0.85 MW and a surface area of approx. 3,000 m2. The investment is scheduled for Q1 2023. The total designed capacity of the installations is 1.7 MW, and the resulting green generation will be able to satisfy 8% of the entire annual power demand of the Łańcut plant.

In addition, our R&D team is working intensively on the launch of a 400 kWh to 1 MWh modular energy storage facility supplied from the PV installation. The storage unit is planned to start operation in Q1 2023. A facility of this kind works with the photovoltaic farm to store surplus energy generated by the panels (instead of returning it to the grid), and thus allowing it to be used later on in production and warehousing processes.

You can see the scale and presentation of our solar developments HERE.

Most importantly, it doesn't end here!

Investments in alternative energy sources are part of the company's comprehensive plan, perfectly combining the pursuit of maximum manufacturing independence with care for the natural environment. The long-term measures underlying these efforts translate into the day-to-day work of all departments across the company, joining forces to create a well-thought-out sustainability strategy.

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