Renewable Energy

The use of renewable energy is a key part of the “Sustainable Plant” initiative. Burning fossil fuels causes CO₂ emissions, which contribute to Global Warming. In manufacturing, the link between energy use and CO₂ emissions is very strong.

Over 95% of our related CO₂ emissions from TMUK operations are generated by our energy use, either by a direct release from the burning of natural gas as a fuel for paint ovens, running the steam boilers, melting aluminium and plant heating, or from the generation of electricity at the power stations that run our production machinery, air compressors, plant lighting and office equipment.

Even though Electricity usage only accounts for 43% of our power consumption, it makes up over 60% of our CO₂ emissions.

In 2011, TMUK worked in partnership with British Gas to install the UK’s largest Solar PV array connected to an industrial site.  This 4.1MW array is located on 90,000m² of industrial land within the plant and consists of 16,800 solar panels.  We aim to generate 4,300,000kWh of energy each year, enough energy to brew 150 million cups of tea or to build 7,000 vehicles at Burnaston.

The Solar glass tower entrance area (above) consists of 3,300 monno-crystalline solar cells which are laminated between two layers of glass.  The 44 panels cover an area of 103m² and are interconnected within the glass framework which feed directly into our site electrical network.  The solar glass itself was manufactured in Durham to an individual specification for this building structure.  The glass tower has an annual energy output of 9,632 kilowatt hours and provides an annual CO₂ saving of 4,400kg.

At the Engine Plant at Deeside, an array (left) consisting of 12,680 solar panels was subsequently installed in 2014 which aims to generate 3,475,000kWh each year, enough energy to build 22,500 engines.

The Deeside plant's emissions will fall by over 1,800 tonnes a year, a figure matching the combined weight of over 1,260 Auris hatchbacks. It took three months to install the panels which cover an area that's the equivalent of almost eight football pitches.

These developments are key part of Toyota's 'Sustainable Plant' vision in which manufacturing operations are designed to work in harmony with their local community and surrounding environment.

The UK is one of just five Toyota plants worldwide to be designated a Sustainable Plant with first-rate environmental credentials.