Toyota to start carbon-neutral production at its UK engine plant

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) marks the start of carbon-neutral production at its UK engine plant, in Deeside, North Wales. It is a pioneering milestone for the site, marking Toyota’s first transition to carbon-neutral manufacturing operations outside Japan.

The coming on stream of an anaerobic digester adjacent to the plant has enabled TMUK Deeside to close the remaining emissions gap and take the final step in its transition towards carbon-neutral manufacturing and achieving the international standard ISO 14068. This waste-to-energy unit supplies biomethane gas and electricity to the plant via underground pipes and cables, replacing the conventional fossil-fuel-based energy sources.

The digester is a 329 million euros privately funded venture, capable of handling around 180,000 tonnes of waste a year coming from the surrounding Deeside community. This is broken down by bacteria to produce biomethane, which is used by the factory in place of natural gas, saving almost 3,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. TMUK Deeside also uses electricity from renewable sources and has eliminated waste sent to landfill.

TMUK Deeside’s milestone sets Toyota on course towards its ambition for all its European manufacturing sites to achieve carbon-neutral production by 2030.