Porsche banks on sustainability in expanded Leipzig plant
STUTTGART—The expansion of Porsche’s Leipzig plant, one of the most efficient automobile factories in the world, sends out another clear message for environmental protection.
The plant’s designers have taken numerous steps for the provision of natural energy sources as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions, amount of waste and consumption of water. So they have been successful in reducing the overall energy needs of the plant considerably. One-of-a-kind in this context is the use of a wood chip fired heating system-a biomass power plant, which will supply the new paint shop with heat from natural resources. Currently, the Porsche plant of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG in Saxony is being fitted for the new Macan model range, set to roll off the assembly line starting in late 2013.
“Environmental protection is a vital element of Porsche’s corporate responsibility. This applies to our production as much as it does to our products. This way, we are positioned to meet our social responsibility. What’s more: We’re reducing costs, motivating our employees and thus are making a huge contribution to corporate success,” said Wolfgang Leimgruber, member of the Executive Board Production and Logistics of Porsche AG.
Numerous measures for the improvement of the ecobalance are scheduled to be in place by the completion of the new factory space next year. The waste heat of the nearby wood chip-fired heating plant will be used to supply 80 percent of the heat for the new paint shop on a carbon-neutral basis. A completely innovative separator system for paint mist is being built based on an electrostatic method, helping to keep the emission of solvents and fine dust during the painting process to a minimum. In addition, the streets and parking lots on the new factory premises will be equipped with LED lamps. The roof of the body construction plant, prepared for a photovoltaic plant, was installed for generating electric power. Bright, reflecting roof membranes are to prevent the heating up of the halls in the summer as well.
With the expansion of its Leipzig plant, Porsche is carrying forward its sustainability strategy. With new technologies and an efficient energy management system, all statutory threshold values will be undercut, new benchmarks defined and ideas implemented. This also applies to the pasturing concept established in Leipzig, which is one of a kind in the automotive industry. More than 10 years ago, the sports car maker laid out courses for streams, wetland ecotopes and pastures all around the factory halls in order to create natural habitats for animals and plants. In the context of the plant expansion, the sports car maker will enlarge these grazing areas, which aurochs and wild horses as “Porsche upkeepers of the countryside” will continue to make use of in the future.
For information on available Porsche models in the Philippines, visit Porsche Philippines Showroom at 201 EDSA Mandaluyong City or contact 727-0381 to 85.
