Audi invests in sustainability: the green transformation of Neckarsulm
The ongoing renovations at the Neckarsulm plant are an important step toward sustainability and the implementation of the Mission:Zero plan, which bundles all the activities aimed at reducing Audi’s carbon footprint.
The Neckarsulm plant is one of the Volkswagen Group's flagship sites and is also a competence center for batteries for Audi models. New, increasingly environmentally friendly processes and methods are being implemented at this plant; a concrete example is the renewal of the paint shop.
All facilities at Neckarsulm are being renovated, and processes are being optimized for the construction of upcoming electric models. A new water supply system using a closed water circuit with the municipal wastewater treatment plant was also inaugurated at the site: this reduces the use of fresh water during production.
Double inauguration
The renewal of Neckarsulm's paint shop is based on two projects: restructuring the topcoat in building A17 and a new basecoat in building A22. Both projects focus on improving processes and implementing increasingly environmentally friendly production methods.
"With the comprehensive renewal of the paint shop, we are strengthening the site and gearing it up for the future. The new facilities are an important step toward electric mobility and the realization of our Mission:Zero" commented Fred Schulze, Neckarsulm plant manager. He was echoed by Rainer Schirmer, Works Council Chairman: "The groundbreaking ceremony for the new water supply plant and the work on the paint shop facilities show that the site is investing in sustainability and thus in the future. It is also a strong signal in the direction of the workforce."
Halving water consumption
As part of the Mission:Zero program, water supply is one of the key points for the responsible use of resources. The goal is to halve water consumption in production by 2035, and in order to achieve this Audi relies on a closed water cycle with the Unteres Sulmtal Consortium wastewater treatment plant, which is adjacent to the plant.
Audi further processes the water purified by the wastewater treatment plant and destined for production, through filter systems and membranes, before sending it back to the plant itself. "Sustainable water use plays a central role in our sustainability strategy," added Achim Diehlmann, Head of Corporate Environmental Protection and Mission:Zero project manager.
Mission:Zero
From 2025 all water used by the plant for production processes will be managed in a closed loop, and this solution will result in savings of up to 70% of fresh water. The Mission:Zero environmental program bundles all the activities and measures Audi has implemented to reduce the ecological footprint in production and logistics - from decarbonization to water use, from resource efficiency to biodiversity.
In 2023, Audi became the first premium carmaker to join the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), the global alliance of companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and institutions that promote the concept of responsibility for water resources along the value chain.
Source: AUDI AG
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