VWCV on track for carbon-neutral production by 2040

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) has struck a sustainable balance at its manufacturing plants this year, with ‘green electricity’, solar power and heat from biomass, reaching key sustainability milestones at its production sites. Far-reaching projects have been implemented — from the complete switch to ‘green electricity‘ through self-sufficient operation with solar energy in Września to the commissioning of a biomass CHP plant (municipal energy company enercity) in Hanover. This brings the goal of balance sheet climate-neutral production by 2040 tangibly closer.

Last year, VWCV made decisive progress in CO₂ reduction, the use of renewable energies and the circular economy. Steffen Reiche, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for production and logistics, said: “Sustainability is not a short-term goal for VWCV, but a permanent commitment.

With the switch to ‘green electricity’, the expansion of renewable energies and innovative partner projects such as the biomass CHP plant in Hanover, we are consistently focusing on sustainable solutions – and will thus save more than 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ this year. We are boosting regional value creation, securing jobs and making an active contribution to climate protection. Our goal is clear — by 2040, we want the production processes at all locations to be climate-neutral and thus assume responsibility for the environment and society.”

VWCV places a consistent focus on sustainability in the energy supply of its production sites. Since January 2025, the Hanover plant has been operating exclusively with electricity from renewable sources. The Polish sites in Poznań and Września have been fully converted to ‘green electricity’ since 2019. Climate-friendly power supply is therefore a key area of leverage for reducing CO₂ emissions and conserving resources.

Solar energy
A particular success was achieved in Września with the in-house photovoltaic system with 31,000 modules and 18.3MW of output supplied solar energy to all of the plant’s production facilities for the first time in September 2024. On average, the system covers around 25% of the electricity demand each year, and further projects for the use of renewable energy are already being planned.

Heating savings of 40% in Hanover — VWCV is also working with regional partners on sustainable solutions for heat supply. With the commissioning of the biomass combined heat and power plant by the regional energy company enercity, the share of climate-neutral district heating in Hanover will increase significantly. The innovative plant uses only non-recyclable waste wood from the region and combines waste wood incineration with a large heat pump and modern flue gas cleaning. This means that fuels are almost completely recycled and emissions are significantly reduced. For VWCV, this means a more than 40% reduction in CO₂ emissions for thermal energy compared with 2024.

Petra Schreiber, head of public affairs and sustainability at VWCV, said: “Sustainability is far more than a corporate goal for VWCV – it is our compass for responsible action and long-term success. We combine ecological responsibility with economic strength and social commitment.”

The brand pursues the goal of advancing climate protection and producing balance sheet climate-neutral at all production sites by 2040 at the latest.