Hitachi Energy achieves 100% fossil-free electricity in own operations
February 2022
News
Hitachi Energy has achieved the first-step target set out in its Sustainability 2030 plan: the use of 100% fossil-free electricity in its own operations. The company is driving towards being carbon-neutral in its own operations by 2030, in line with its stated purpose, ‘Advancing a sustainable energy future for all’.
“By achieving 100% fossil-free electricity in our own operations, we have reduced our CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions by over 50% compared to 2019,” says Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy. He continued, “The Net Zero challenge is global and it’s about acting now, innovating and collaborating across countries, industries and societies. Together with customers, partners and all stakeholders, we are advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.”
The targeted 50% reduction – achieved ahead of schedule – will amount to approximately 175 kilotonnes of CO2e per year, equivalent to removing over 35 000 passenger cars off the road. To reach 100%, the company has pursued a number of pathways including supporting projects to generate its own fossil-free electricity, such as installing solar roof panels combined with e-mesh digital solutions for distributed energy resources. It has also switched to green tariffs, bought energy attribute certificates (EACs) and signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) across its operations and facilities in 90 countries.
The Zhongshan factory in China generates nearly 20% of its total energy consumption from solar panels.
In its Zhongshan factory in China, the company is generating nearly 20% of its total energy consumption from solar panels. In its first year of operation, the power generated at the factory is expected to reach 1510 MWh, contributing to a reduction in annual carbon emissions of more than 1000 tonnes.
In Ludvika, Sweden, Hitachi Energy is now using 100% renewable electricity generated from hydropower and solar panels to support its operations. Ludvika, which is one of Hitachi Energy’s largest production facilities, has gone beyond tackling its electricity supply and is now close to removing the use of fossil fuels from its operations altogether.
The company has a track record of implementing its own technologies in its operations to enable the integration of renewable energy. For example, in 2015 its South African facility installed a 750 kW rooftop photovoltaic plant and a 1 MVA/380 kWh battery-based PowerStore for enhancing the use of renewables and providing a continuous supply of power.
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