In a significant move ahead of World Environment Day 2023, Renault Nissan Automotive Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) has announced remarkable progress in its pursuit of the 2045 Carbon Neutrality objective, unveiled earlier this year. The company is set to achieve several crucial sustainability milestones by the year 2030.
RNAIPL’s carbon neutrality roadmap focuses on three key pathways: augmenting the proportion of green energy in the overall energy mix, aggressively improving energy usage efficiency, and embracing energy-efficient technology at its Oragadam plant. As a result, the automaker has already succeeded in reducing its annual CO2 emissions by an impressive equivalent of 87,500 tons as of the fiscal year 2022-23.
At present, RNAIPL sources nearly 60 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar, biomass, and wind. Building on its commitment to clean energy, the company plans to enhance its in-house solar plant capacity from 2.2MW to 14MW by 2026. This expansion will be accomplished through the installation of rooftop solar panels and innovative floating solar panels on the plant’s pond. By leveraging renewable energy sources, RNAIPL aims to meet 85 percent of the plant’s energy requirements with renewable power by 2030, ultimately transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
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RNAIPL has already gained recognition for being the least reliant on external water sources among all plants in the global Renault Nissan Alliance. Thanks to its rainwater harvesting and water recycling infrastructure, the company is poised to become water-positive by 2030. Currently, RNAIPL meets 85 percent of its total water needs from its rainwater harvesting ponds within the premises. Additionally, the plant operates as a Zero Discharge facility, effectively recycling and reusing wastewater for industrial processes and other purposes, including gardening. To further enhance water efficiency, RNAIPL plans to implement upgraded plumbing designs, conduct water audits, and enforce stringent monitoring. The company aims to achieve a 21 percent reduction in water usage by 2030 compared to the levels recorded in the fiscal year 2022-23.
Beyond its own operations, RNAIPL is committed to the community. In addition to rejuvenating 10 lakes and ponds, the company will explore opportunities to create new water bodies and establish direct groundwater recharging pits. These initiatives aim to improve water tables in the water-stressed region surrounding the plant. Complemented by tree planting initiatives, RNAIPL’s actions will ensure that it returns more water to the environment than it consumes for its operations, achieving water positivity by 2030.
In recent years, RNAIPL has actively undertaken initiatives to replace single-use plastic items within the plant with eco-friendly alternatives, adhering to government regulations. The company also conducts regular employee campaigns to raise awareness about the adverse environmental effects of single-use plastic.
Since the initiation of car production in the fiscal year 2010, RNAIPL has achieved an impressive 36 percent reduction in energy consumption. This remarkable feat has been made possible through a series of plant-wide conservation techniques and technological upgrades. Some of the notable initiatives include the implementation of intelligent flow controllers for air compressor systems, which have led to an annual energy consumption reduction of 800 tons of CO2 emissions.
The plant has also upgraded its infrastructure with LED lighting, enforced zero energy days, closely monitored energy consumption on holidays, standardized equipment stickering for optimal use and energy conservation, and adopted energy-efficient equipment such as BLDC Blowers, Compact Ejectors, and VFD for Pumps and Motors. Furthermore, the installation of a water source heat pump as an alternative to the LPG-based hot water generator at the Paint shop has resulted in a 6 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, utilizing both hot and cold water for industrial processes.
By 2030, RNAIPL aims to reduce the energy required to manufacture a car by 20 percent compared to the 2019 energy baseline. Furthermore, the company plans to further reduce this figure by an additional 30 percent by 2045.
With the comprehensive implementation of its sustainability roadmap, RNAIPL is confident in achieving its 2030 sustainability goals, ultimately positioning itself as a leading player in sustainable manufacturing. The plant’s unwavering commitment to energy and resource reduction, seamless integration of renewable energy, and technological advancements are setting new standards in the industry and propelling RNAIPL towards carbon neutrality by 2045.
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