OUR STORIES
The Industry’s First “Carbon Neutral” Manufacturing Plant
In 2010, the ThyssenKrupp Elevadores S.A. manufacturing plant, located in the city of Guaíba, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, was certified as carbon neutral by the international consultancy service, British Standards Institute (BSI). The Guaíba plant is the first elevator manufacturing plant to be carbon-neutral certified.
The Guaíba plant will obtain 2,200 metric tons of carbon credits per year from the Barra Grande Hydroelectric Plant, which is owned and operated by Energética Barra Grande SA (BAESA) and is also located in Rio Grande do Sul, for compensating for its carbon footprint and obtaining the Carbon Free Plant seal. The BAESA project also provides social and economic benefit to the region, directing 30% of its certification proceeds to the development of small-scale farmers in the region.
The Guaíba plant is supporting ThyssenKrupp Elevator in our commitment to the environment by helping us to reduce our carbon footprint as a company beyond our North American operations and by advancing best practices within our organization.
Setting Targets, Identifying Easy Wins
Our Middleton, Tennessee site is our largest U.S. manufacturing planet and uses nearly 25,000 megawatt hours of energy per year.
In October 2009, the manufacturing team at Middleton was given a directive to reduce energy costs by 10% over the next 12 months. The manufacturing team embraced the directive and saved more than $700,000 annually in the process.
The success at Middleton is attributable to the implementation of two tools. First, an energy management system was used to reduce air conditioning use by controlling HVAC units to operate only when needed and within set temperature points. Second, motion sensors were installed in offices and conference rooms to ensure that lights were on only when the rooms were in use and automatically turned off when the rooms were empty.
From Middleton, we have learned that simple steps can yield large results and also foster a culture of environmental responsibility and efficiency within our U.S. operations.
Identifying Largest Impacts, Exploring Innovative Solutions
With more than 3,300 fleet vehicles operating in North America, we have prioritized our fleet as a key opportunity to reduce environmental impacts. We have identified the incorporation of propane vehicles into our fleet as a potential means to reduce fleet emissions.
In 2010, ThyssenKrupp Elevator began piloting the propane-powered service vehicles in Phoenix. ThyssenKrupp Elevator partnered with ROUSH CleanTech to engineer liquid-propane fuel injection systems for Ford E-series cargo vans. According to studies supported by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), propane vehicles emit 18% less greenhouse gases than traditional vehicles, as well as 20% less nitrogen oxide and 60% less carbon monoxide. Also, 90% of propane used in the United States is produced domestically.
Although there are no upfront incentives for the vehicle type and size in the pilot market of Arizona, a return on investment (ROI) is expected in approximately three years due to HOV lane access, lower registration costs and dramatically lower fuel costs. Propane vehicles also incur lower maintenance costs because they run cleaner and experience no carbon build-up.
The Phoenix pilot is also a story of collaboration. By partnering with ROUSH to build the infrastructure needed for the pilot, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is helping other companies in the region who would like to take advantage of the alternative system. The more companies that get involved and begin demanding this option for their fleet, the more propane stations will be built. In the end, everyone involved will benefit. Upon review and evaluation of the Phoenix pilot, ThyssenKrupp Elevator may also introduce propane-powered fleet into other markets.
Ensuring More Efficient, Safer and Cleaner Manufacturing
As part of ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s commitment to environmental best practice, both of our U.S. manufacturing facilities received ISO 14001 certification in March 2009.
The ISO 14001 certification, a standard instituted by the International Standards Organization for environmental management systems, demonstrates that ThyssenKrupp Elevator has the management practices, control mechanisms and planning processes in place to ensure more efficient, safer and cleaner manufacturing. The implementation of this environmental management system has had an added benefit in that it also serves a strategic framework for ThyssenKrupp Elevator’s sustainability policy, plans and actions.
Both the Middleton and Walnut manufacturing plants have been ISO 9000 certified since August 1995, a related standard indicating that both factories comply with the international standards for establishing and running quality management systems. The ISO 14011 certification denotes our ongoing dedication to the environment and is part of our larger commitment to our people and our planet, and was a proud moment for our Company
