3 minute read - 22nd April 2022
Bentley’s Crewe factory continues to reduce year-on-year environmental impact
The latest available data recorded at Bentley Motors’ “Dream Factory” headquarters in Crewe shows a continued reduction in its overall environmental impact per vehicle – when comparing 2021 data against 2020 figures – even though Bentley increased production volume by 38.3% in the same period. The overall reduction since 2010 now stands at 76.7 per cent per vehicle.
A series of ongoing improvements at the factory since 2010 has been the backdrop to the release of these new figures, as Bentley focuses on the key principles of reduction and reuse.
Data from the Bentley Motors factory in Crewe shows it continues to reduce its environmental impact – 2021 factory CO2 emissions were also down by over 70 per cent on 2020 figures / Picture: Bentley Motors
The new data shows a drop of 70.2% in CO2 emissions at the Pyms Lane site, where all Bentley models are built. The fall is largely due to Bentley’s use of green gas and biofuels in onsite logistic vehicles. The figures further improve on past CO2 cuts at the factory, thanks to the use of energy generated from the company’s extensive onsite solar PV system. In January, Bentley confirmed that the system, which currently consists of circa 31,500 panels will be extended further.
The amount of water used at the factory was also cut by 26.6% in 2021, due mainly to major investment in water capture measures and installing water recycling systems. Some of this decrease was also due to a reduction in ‘domestic’ water usage onsite, caused by a greater proportion of colleagues working from home during the pandemic.
However, a second water capture tank – with the capacity to provide a further 1,800-litres of rainwater per day – has just been installed on the roof of the new excellence centre for vehicle finish. The new tank will also be attached to the reverse osmosis water system in the paint shop and will directly serve toilet facilities in the new manufacturing finishing area.
In January, Bentley announced a £2.5bn sustainable investment for further transformation of the “Dream Factory” where future Bentley BEVs will be built / Picture: Bentley Motors
Energy consumption per vehicle was down 17.2%, thanks to an ongoing focus on efficiency, the use of green gas and the impact of a more efficient boiler system.
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) – materials often found in items such as adhesives – were also cut by 17.5%. Bentley is planning to invest in new onsite technologies to reduce this figure still further over the next 12 months.
Peter Bosch, member of the board for manufacturing at Bentley Motors, said: “The focus of our Beyond100 strategy is to ensure Bentley is a world leader in the delivery of sustainable luxury mobility. These latest encouraging figures show that the continuous focus of our manufacturing strategy on reducing waste, water and energy use are paying dividends by delivering impactful year on year change.
“Our site is already carbon neutral and the ethos behind our Dream Factory concept is to go-to-zero in terms of environmental impact. We are planning more solar panels and investment in VOCs mitigation will take place in 2022, to make Crewe the most sustainable site that it can possible be.
“Longer term, the £2.5 billion investment we announced in January 2022 will help us further transform our facilities, combining our unique fusion of craftsmanship, customer interaction and colleague experience to build the platform for our first Bentley BEV.”
Bentley has also announced that its solar panels system, which currently consists of circa 31,500 panels, will be extended further / Picture: Bentley Motors