Volvo CE’s Braås facility receives Climate Efficient Site certification
Braås was the first in the construction industry to achieve carbon neutral operations in 2014
The Swedish Volvo CE Braås site, which produced the industry's first articulated haulers in 1966, has now received The Climate Efficient Site certification. This is the latest achievement for the facility, which has a strong history of leading in manufacturing sustainability. Braås was the first in the construction industry to achieve a carbon neutral operation back in 2014, leveraging renewable energy sources like a district heating system powered by 100 percent renewable biofuels and electricity from hydropower. In 2018, the site was declared landfill-free. Now, a new benchmark is being set.
"Our commitment to drive the decarbonization of construction remains firm which is why we constantly push ourselves to set new benchmarks for sustainability beyond the industry status quo," says Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE.
A culture that keeps pushing boundaries
To fulfill Volvo CE's commitment to the Science Based Target initiative and overall sustainability strategy, the company is transforming across all parts of its business. This global internal certificate is designed to provide all production sites with a stretch goal to help the company meet its Science Based Targets commitments. It covers all of scope 1 and 2, and scope 3 emissions that are within the site's ability to influence. The extensive requirements cover not only direct and indirect emissions to the site, emissions generated in the production of goods, services and fuels, but also energy and waste management.
"We believe in leading by example with concrete action, starting with ourselves," says Jernberg. "The employees at Braås keep demonstrating what can be achieved with clear targets and a culture of learning and involvement, where everyone is enabled and encouraged to make meaningful contributions."
Many small streams make less emissions
The main groundwork in Braås was a comprehensive inventory of all carbon emissions connected to site activities across its approximately 60,000 square metres of manufacturing buildings and offices. This mapping helped its nearly 1,000 employees to actively engage in targeted continuous improvements throughout manufacturing, energy systems, materials handling, product testing, waste management, and transport and distribution.
Lisa Krondahl, environment engineer at Volvo CE in Braås, says, "Change is possible when people are dedicated to continuously seek improvements and act on them, and here people really want to make a difference. In 2023, we aimed for 40 environmental and energy improvements — our teams topped 120. This year, we set the target to find 100 more ways to improve, and to date over 140 have been implemented. Sustainability is embedded in our teams, our processes and the way we operate, and it guides our decision making."
The Braås site has been running on renewable energy for many years, but the certification requirements helped discover new ways to level up its energy management.
"It's important to continue working to reduce and optimize the energy systems, to enable the renewable energy to be used in the best way," says Mattias Hermander, energy expert at Braås. An energy-efficient industry is an investment in a better society, taking responsibility for our resources now and in the future."
Other initiatives to reduce emissions at the site include:
- Using only biofuels (HVO 100) for machines produced and used at the site
- Collaborating with suppliers and contractors to improve work practises and inbound logistics
- Enhanced waste management, focusing on waste reduction, sorting, and removal, as well as reusing and recycling
- Improved quality of wastewater to allow the sludge to be used as fertilizer after treatment
- Enhanced paint process, for example using abatement technology
- Installing electric charging points and promoting ride-share programs to help employees commute and travel more sustainably.
The sustainability advancements at Braås have progressed alongside expansion at the site to accelerate the phased shift to electromobility for articulated haulers. This is part of Volvo CE's major global investment strategy to transform its facilities for electrification.
