Volvo will use hydropower for its facilities in Sweden and Belgium

In order to use clean, renewable energy and reach a climate-neutral production status in Europe, Volvo Car Corporation will now rely solely on hydropower for its facilities in Torslanda, Sweden, and Ghent, Belgium. The agreement between Volvo and its electricity suppliers covers about 1,000 GWh (gigawatt hours), and includes a guarantee that all this electricity has been generated from hydropower.

Volvo Cars Torslanda Plant

Today, Volvo is virtually independent of oil for its energy needs. The Swedish automaker is currently working on replacing natural gas with renewable biogas. In addition, from an energy efficiency standpoint, Volvo achieved miracles over the last few years: although production facilities have almost doubled in size, energy consumption is maintained at a constant level.

Finally, Volvo performed a systematic review of the development and engineering departments' building in Torslanda, which resulted in energy savings of about 30 percent. What's more, indoor climate conditions have reportedly improved.