Proton adopts renewable energy to reduce its carbon footprint

KUALA LUMPUR: Beyond introducing electric vehicles, the automotive industry is working on a comprehensive ecosystem to reduce its carbon footprint and provide utility cost savings. A recent example of this is Proton’s solar power initiative at its Tanjung Malim facility. It is a part of the company’s support to the government’s target of becoming a carbon-neutral nation by 2050. 

Let’s get to know the benefits of Proton’s new initiative -

Meeting-out 25% power consumption: The solar panels mounted on the factory’s rooftop and 23.4-acre parking lot will generate a combined power of 12 MWp (9 MWp + 3 MWp), enough to meet up to 25% of the power consumption needs. 

Reduction of carbon dioxide emission: The solar project will help Proton reduce CO2 emissions by 11,536 tonnes a year using clean and renewable energy. It will benefit the local community and ecosystem in Tanjung Malim. 

Significant savings on electricity bills: With solar panels fulfilling the 25% of the power required at the factory, the automaker will be saving up to RM 5.85 million a year.

Proton’s this initiative at a time when the industry is focused on adopting environment-friendly technologies and lowering CO2 emissions is commendable. The company started rolling out its green initiatives back in 2015. Since then, it has implemented Energy Management System in its production plants to get insights into areas that can reduce energy consumption.

Included in the brand’s energy-saving projects are LED re-lamping and the adoption of magnetic chillers, master compressor units, and so on. As for managing waste and water, the automaker implemented a system where recycled water is being used in the manufacturing processes. 

Now, Proton is set to adopt renewable energy with the target of digitising its energy data on a cloud server for AI and Big Data Analytics in the next phase.

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