At the production site for power electronics in Klášterec in the Czech Republic, ZF is opening its first zero-emission factory after a renovation period of just under a year and a half. The plant, which is part of the Electrified Powertrain Technology division, supports the company’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality across all value chains by 2040.
The Klášterec plant manufactures products for electromobility. The transformation into a climate-neutral factory was achieved in under a year and a half. A starting point for the technical measures was the supply of self-produced solar power to the plant, produced by 3,400 solar modules on the roofs and on a grassy area alongside the hall complex. The plant covers 20 percent of its annual electricity demand in this way. The purchased electricity comes from renewable sources. The plant's heating system also manages without fossil fuels. Heat pumps replace the previous gas heating. In summer, the plant uses the natural ambient cold (free cooling) to air-condition the rooms. Various measures for improved thermal insulation and heat recovery round off this local climate concept that serves as a global model. The Klášterec will be used as the blueprint for all ZF plants worldwide for a shift to sustainably generated energy at all locations, increasing the energy efficiency of processes, electrifying a significant proportion of its products and using recycled materials. Also as part of the sustainability strategy ZF is meeting demand in important market regions locally ("local-for-local") and save emissions that would otherwise be caused by transporting complete systems from remote locations. An example is the new ZF plant in Oragadam, India (Tamil Nadu Province) which will be producing chassis and
electric components such as the air compressor for light and medium-duty commercial vehicles for the Indian and Asian markets. ZF plans to operate the new location in India with 100% renewable energy. The facility has a solar plant that can generate up to 450 kWp, complemented by additional energy sourced from long-term contracts for solar and wind power. And it is equipped with a system to collect and reuse rainwater and is expected to be water neutral by 2025. In the USA ZF is planning a $500 million investment in its Gray Court, South Carolina, facility offering everything from traditional ICE to e-mobility technologies, for both passenger car and commercial vehicle applications including the 8-speed automatic transmission for plug-in hybrids (8HP Gen4 PHEV). ZF Gray Court is officially the company’s first flex manufacturing facility in North America. Apart from this ZF also announces its new Smart Seat Belt Technology. With its new seat belt system, ZF Passive Safety Systems will enable improved adaptation of the belt force limitation to the size and body weight of the vehicle occupants in the future by the “Multi-Stage Load Limiter” (MSLL), primarily responsible for the individual system adjustment. It helps to further reduce the consequences of accidents for all occupants and enables car manufacturers to meet the increased requirements of the NCAP Roadmap 2030.