Ford Highlights Silverton Facility’s Eco Credentials for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day earlier this week on the 22nd of April, Ford South Africa detailed how its Silverton facility is at the forefront of the automaker’s global push to being carbon neutral.

Silverton

Image: Ford

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At Ford South Africa’s Silverton Manufacturing Plant in Pretoria, the company is rolling out a series of eco-conscious upgrades aimed at reducing its environmental impact, starting with water. With all of the rain experienced in many parts of South Africa recently, this has highlighted the importance of being self-sufficient in a closed-loop water recycling system. Effluent water is now cleaned and reused in the plant’s Paint Shop, removing the need to bring in fresh water for that part of the process. According to Ford SA Operations Director Rhys Davies, the move will save around 15 million litres of water annually.

“There’s a perception that when it rains like this, water scarcity isn’t a problem,” says Davies. “But that couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re still in a crisis, and industry has to be part of the solution.”

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Plans are underway to expand this recycling system to other parts of the plant. Meanwhile, the Paint Shop itself is getting a high-tech makeover to improve both paint quality and energy efficiency. Being energy intensive, the company has turned its carpark into a massive solar power generator, sporting over 30 000 solar panels which generate 13.4 MW of electricity, enough to power the whole operation during the day. Ford is now looking at battery storage and additional renewable sources to run completely off-grid.

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In addition, a new scrapyard has been built to improve on-site sorting and recycling of waste materials like cardboard, paper, and plastic. The goal is zero waste to landfill. Recycling bins are also scattered throughout the facility to encourage employees to pitch in. All of this forms part of Ford Motor Company’s broader global drive toward carbon neutrality and the automaker has put the Silverton plant at the forefront.

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The post Ford Highlights Silverton Facility’s Eco Credentials for Earth Day appeared first on CAR Magazine.


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