Skoda plant in India goes big on solar, transitions to 100% green energy

Skoda Auto India on Monday announced that it has completely transitioned its Aurangabad manufacturing facility to ‘green’ energy, way ahead of its 2025 target. This is another significant step by Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL), which manages the Indian region of five Volkswagen Group brands, towards fulfilling the Group's goTOzero mission.

The facility received its Green Energy Certificate from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). “We are enormously proud of achieving 100% Green Energy Certification for our Aurangabad facility well in advance of the target date," said Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited.

Earlier in 2018, the Aurangabad plant of SAVWIPL had increased its capacity usage of ‘green’ energy and commissioned a 980 kWp rooftop solar power plant to meet 40% of its annual energy requirement. The Aurangabad plant has also become the first automotive facility in the city to be certified as a Green Energy Plant by MSEDCL.

This feat has also moved Skoda Auto India closer to its goal of achieving carbon neutrality in its manufacturing operations by the second half of the decade. “We take a holistic approach to decarbonisation – from production through service life to recycling," Arora added.

Thanks to the 100% transition to ‘green’ energy, the Aurangabad plant will achieve an approximately 48% reduction in carbon emissions every year. As part of its ‘goTOzero’ mission, the Volkswagen Group - consisting of companies such as Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini - aims to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

The Group has been consistently focusing on its carbon-neutrality goals across the entire global supply chain and product life cycle. “Sustainability is a key pillar of the Group’s corporate strategy. It is also a cornerstone of our manufacturing processes. In the Volkswagen Group, ‘goTOzero’ is not only a roadmap for effective climate protection, it is also an integral strategic initiative towards sustainable mobility," Arora said.