Mercedes-Benz Vitoria is proceeding based on a conviction that to build the future we must take advantage of the opportunities existing in the present.
One of the main environmental aspects affecting the raw assembly area is energy consumption. In recent years, intensive work has been carried out to reduce compressed air consumption, and a 7% decrease has been achieved.
The future objective is to further reduce this compressed air consumption through strategies such as replacing current pneumatic welding clamps with electrical ones.
The success of what has been achieved so far at the factory has been largely due to the actions implemented in Painting, as the environmental impact of this process accounts for 60% of the factory's energy consumption.
In the future, the Vitoria factory aspires to use processes that are on the cutting edge of the most environmentally friendly technology and materials, those which entail the least possible consumption of water and energy.
The Vitoria Factory has implemented the "lean" philosophy as a working method in all its processes.
In this area our strength is our people, a great team making a major effort in the field of training, raising awareness of issues related to sustainability. This commitment is evident in the designing of measures for the environmental program, the Proposals for Improvement program, and the creation of autonomous improvement groups (QCCs) to solve the problems that arise in the lines in which they work. There are also cross-cutting groups focused on environmental and energy improvement.
In addition, the present and future of the final assembly plant are oriented to the digitization and sensorization of the facilities, as well as the technological updating of different processes to allow for the more efficient use of energy. This makes it possible to improve process control and behavior in order to optimize the equipment cycle.
In all the production sectors, Mercedes-Benz Vitoria has labs/factories where many prototyping projects are carried out prior to their introduction in the production lines, including ones designed to produce environmental improvements and savings.
In the field of Transport, we are following the Ambition2039 sustainability plan, which embraces emissions reductions as the main goal. Our focus is on achieving these goals through process optimization and the use of new technologies. For example, we are making changes to multimodal transportation models, encouraging the increased use of truck equipment featuring higher load capacities, as well as the use of synthetic fuels or electric trucks.
Increases in Zero-KM suppliers are key to reducing our carbon footprint. This is a main principle as regards logistics in the VAN.EA project to find the best solution for our VAN plants.
To build the future, it is necessary to take advantage of the opportunities existing today. Section by section, the bridge leading to the realization of the Mercedes-Benz Group's vision must be constructed.
For more than twenty years, the Vitoria factory has been designing an idea for the future, has integrated it into its processes, and is executing it. This has led to more than 700 energy consumers being equipped with sensors, which provide some 3 million bits of data monthly.
Thanks to this information, and through advanced data analysis and machine learning, it has been possible to define multivariate models predicting what all our processes' consumption figures should be. In addition, we have managed for the machines to notify us of increases or decreases in their energy consumption through a system of daily alerts.
But this is not enough. We also have to be prepared to take on challenges when they arrive, as we cannot squander opportunities.
Thus, the Vitoria factory is trained to remain up to date on the latest state of new technologies and market trends. On this line, multidisciplinary work teams have been created that bring together professionals from technical and purchasing services, as well as representatives of external companies with expertise in energy, to learn about the latest developments in the energy market.
Within our sustainability project at the Vitoria factory, aimed at sustainable production, we wish to integrate energy efficiency and CO2 neutrality criteria into our plans for the construction of new buildings, steering their design towards nZEB: Nearly Zero Energy Buildings.
An nZEB building one with a very high level of energy efficiency and no CO2 emissions. In the nZEB methodology, we first apply passive solutions to the building's architecture to reduce its energy demand. We then apply active solutions, such as heat recovery systems, LED lighting, etc., to reduce consumption. Finally, for the rest of the energy, we implement renewable energy generation (solar photovoltaic, geothermal, etc.) installations.
The calculation is made using software that allows us to study the different economic scenarios over 20 years, including estimated investment and operating costs. The objective is to determine the set of variables that make it possible to obtain an nZEB building at the lowest cost, with the lowest consumption, and free of associated CO2 emissions. All our upcoming buildings are being designed using the nZEB methodology.
To meet our GreenProduction targets, from 2021 to the end of 2023 we worked, in collaboration with the Tecnalia Technological Center, on defining the decarbonization strategy at the Vitoria factory. The plan will allow us to reduce our CO2 emissions by 80% by 2030 (base year 2018) and to be CO2-free by 2039. This strategy, which will be implemented from 2024 to 2030, is based on 4 cornerstones: energy supply, buildings, factory facilities and production facilities.
The conclusion of the studies carried out together with Tecnalia has concluded that the most efficient solution for the plant is a distributed heat and cold production system, but connected through a low-temperature thermal network. This, in addition to allowing for the exchange of residual heat and cold between the factory's different facilities and buildings, will also offer the possibility of storing seasonal thermal energy in geothermal wells.
Mercedes-Benz España, S.A.U.
Fábrica Vitoria © 2025
