Ford has made further progress with its decarbonisation project, commissioning a solar power plant at its production plant in Almussafes (Valencia). The plant has an installed power of 2.8 MW, which will be increased to 5 MW in the coming months and will reach 10 MW in 2024.

All the energy consumed at Ford plants already came from renewable sources previously. The plant in Almussafes reached this milestone on 1 January 2022, and it is taking a leap forward by now producing energy on its own facilities.

Making use of non-productive land
The company has used a non-productive area at the plant in Valencia, where two groups of solar panels have been installed with capacity to produce almost 4,641 MWh annually, the equivalent of what 1,400 households consume on average during the period. The first increase, with an additional 2.2 MW of power, will take place this summer, increasing annual production by 3,762 MWh, the equivalent to the power consumed by 1,100 average households.

A third phase is planned for next year, increasing power to 10 MW and doubling its capacity. It will occupy the remaining non-productive land at the plant. In the longer term, the company plans to install solar panels on the roofs of the buildings to reduce demand for mains electricity.  

Totally electric future
The director of sustainable engineering, environment and security at Ford Europe, Stuart Southgate, explained the operation, “Now more than ever, we are all aware of the need to use energy from renewable sources. As Ford moves into a totally electric future and towards carbon neutrality in all our production processes, investments in innovations like our new solar energy plant in Valencia means creating renewable energy for self-supply, which makes a significant contribution to our goal to build a better world”.

The American company has a strategic decarbonisation plan that extends to its vehicles. It has committed to selling only electric, zero-emissions vehicles in Europe by 2035. Its goal to be carbon neutral on the continent also applies to its facilities, logistics operations and suppliers.

^{Photo: Ford}