Scania’s Chinese factory to run on renewable energy

Julia Asplund, Sustainability Officer at Scania Production China, works to cut long-term costs for energy, and to reach our science based targets. “The factory is designed to be as energy efficient as possible, and the sustainability aspect is already incorporated in our future operations.”

Cooperation with Swedish Environmental Research Institute and city of Rugao

In March, a pilot to produce biogas locally in Rugao was kicked off with an inauguration ceremony attended by among others the Swedish ambassador of China, Helena S?ngeland.

The biogas pilot will run for six months in cooperation with Rugao water group and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL). “We want to test and verify production of biogas from sludge and food waste to find the perfect mix for high quality gas to use in a scaled up version,” says Asplund. The equipment for the pilot production of biogas has already been installed in the Rugao wastewater treatment plant facility.

Biogas produced from organic waste

The pilot is a first step towards the goal of producing biogas in Rugao from material that would otherwise have gone to waste. “We work for a win-win situation where the city’s organic waste is turned into environment-friendly gas used in Scania workshops and buildings,” Asplund adds.

The biogas facility is important to reach Scania’s carbon emission goals and a strong signal that Scania, the city of Rugao and IVL are partners that want to drive the shift in China.

Highlighted by Business Sweden

Scania’s biogas project was also highlighted at the “Low carbon sustainable development-conference”, run by Scania, the city of Rugao and Business Sweden. Great discussions on technology to reduce emissions took place among Swedish companies and Chinese stakeholders. “Collaboration and support from suppliers and local parties are vital if we are to reach our vision of a zero-emission-factory,” says Ruthger de Vries, Head of Industrial Operations Asia.

China establishment secures growth

Scania’s establishment of a third industrial hub in China is a way to secure production capacity and competitiveness. “This is the biggest truck market in the world, in the fastest growing region. We need to be present here to keep up with technology development and innovation,” concludes de Vries.

What is biogas?

Biogas is a renewable energy source that can be produced from digestion of organic material such as food waste, agricultural waste or sludge from wastewater treatment plants. The gas is then produced when the mixture of the organic material is fed to microorganism in an anaerobe environment. The microorganisms “eat” the material and produce gas that is captured in the biogas facility and supplied by pipes or containers on trucks to the usage point.