Im tschechischen Klášterec ist nach knapp eineinhalb Jahren Umrüstzeit die erste Null-Emissions-Fabrik des ZF-Konzerns entstanden.
//
In Klášterec in the Czech Republic, ZF Group opens first zero-emission plant after a renovation period of just under a year and a half.
At the production site for power electronics in Klášterec in the Czech Republic, around one hundred kilometers northwest of Prague, ZF is opening its first zero-emission factory after a conversion period of just under one and a half years. The location of the Electrified Powertrain Technology division is considered a blueprint for all ZF plants worldwide and supports the company in its efforts to be climate-neutral across all value chains by 2040. The technology group is focusing on sustainably generated energy at all locations, increasing the energy efficiency of processes, electrifying a significant proportion of its products and using recycled materials.
One of the particular challenges is to convert existing ZF plants around the world so that they can be operated with climate-neutral energy from now on. “The sustainable transformation at the Klášterec location is groundbreaking for our entire production network and helps us to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Stephan von Schuckmann, member of the ZF Board of Management. A fundamental starting point is supplying the plant with self-generated electricity. This is generated by a total of around 3,400 solar modules on the roofs and on a green area next to the hall complex. This covers around 20 percent of the plant’s annual electricity requirements.
The purchased electricity comes exclusively from renewable sources – mainly wind and hydropower. “Klášterec is our benchmark,” emphasizes Dhanashree Kad, responsible for sustainability in the ZF Electrified Powertrain Technology division. As early as 2025, five years earlier than initially planned, ZF will cover the needs of all its locations entirely with green electricity through supply contracts with renewable energy providers. The heating system at the Czech e-mobility plant will also operate without fossil fuels. Heat pumps are replacing the previous gas heating system, reducing the original heating costs by 50 percent. In the winter months, the Klášterec plant uses the natural ambient cold to air-condition the plant facilities. Various measures for improved thermal insulation and heat recovery round off this local climate concept.
