Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel completes rooftop photovoltaic coverage at Nantong factory
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Weinheim, November 23, 2022. Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg) has completed the installation of 13,000m2 of photovoltaic panels on the roof of its Nantong factory. Through the use of renewable energy, Freudenberg is making meaningful changes to support sustainability across the seasons. In addition to solar energy generation, other green initiatives at the factory include innovations that increase energy savings, mitigate emissions, and reduce waste. Alongside its House of Sustainability, these represent Freudenberg’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
Nantong factory photovoltaic installation
Freudenberg is dedicated to sustainability and has integrated sustainable development into its business activities at all levels. By 2025, Freudenberg is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 25%. To meet this ambitious goal, the Group’s new factory in the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area has been designed with sustainable practice at its core.
Freudenberg recently completed the installation of 13,000m2 of photovoltaic cells on the roof of its new Nantong factory. With a total capacity of 1.6 MW, the new rooftop installation is projected to produce 1.5 million kWh of green electricity each year. In addition to reduced energy consumption from the grid, this new installation will lower CO2 emissions by approximately 1,200 tons/year.
Sustainability initiatives at the Nantong factory
Beyond the photovoltaic installation, Freudenberg has integrated sustainability into the Nantong factory’s design, with advances in energy conservation and emissions and loss reduction.
The factory uses valley voltage to cool water in its reservoir that is applied to A/C and machine temperature management during working hours. The new waste gas treatment technology enables hot water collected by heat exchangers to be directly reused in production, thereby reducing thermal energy waste. Furthermore, the factory applies a new multi-phase waste gas treatment technology to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. The factory has also incorporated new methods to improve the A-grade rates of bi-elastic interlinings and shirt interlinings, further reducing waste while improving garment quality.
Jonathan Oh, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel, said, “At Freudenberg, we are deeply committed to advancing sustainable initiatives and leading the development of the apparel industry. The completion of our rooftop photovoltaic project means we can leverage our space to generate electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through a range of innovative measures in the factory, we are able to meaningfully reduce energy and water usage while improving overall efficiency and delivering ultimate performance from sustainably-produced products.”
An ongoing commitment
As part of the Group’s sustainable development strategy, Freudenberg Apparel has also launched its House of Sustainability to minimize the impact of production processes on the environment and help customers achieve their sustainability goals, with responsible products across the seasons. Offering over 500 sustainable solutions with innovative materials and processes, Freudenberg is leading the apparel industry towards greater environmental stewardship.
Freudenberg will continue to serve as a responsible company for customers and society. This new factory not only meets Freudenberg’s highest standards across production, innovation and sustainability, but also follows the Group’s sustainable development strategy to minimize its environmental footprint from production, providing customers with excellent, responsibly-made products and solutions.
About Freudenberg Performance Materials
Freudenberg Performance Materials is a leading global supplier of innovative technical textiles for a broad range of markets and applications such as apparel, automotive, building interiors, building materials, healthcare, energy, filter media, shoe and leather goods as well as specialties. In 2021, the company generated sales of more than €1.3 billion, had 33 production sites in 14 countries around the world and had some 5.000 employees. Freudenberg Performance Materials attaches great importance to social and ecological responsibility as the basis for its business success. For more information, please visit www.freudenberg-pm.com
The company is a Business Group of Freudenberg Group. In 2021, the Freudenberg Group employed some 50,000 people in around 60 countries worldwide and generated sales of more than €10 billion. For more information, please visit www.freudenberg.com.
