TME installs a wind turbine and solar panels at HO

Toyota strengthens its commitment to sustainability by generating renewable electricity on-site

20/05/2020

As part of ongoing activities in Europe to transition its operations to clean renewable energy, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has invested in two new technologies to produce on-site generated electricity at its Brussels headquarters. The company recently installed a wind turbine in front of its buildings, using state-of-the art technology. Additionally, 1400 solar panels have been placed on the roof of the Toyota After Sales Centre at the same site.

A privately-owned wind turbine and 1400 solar panels

TME is the first company within the Brussels area to mount a privately-owned wind turbine on its premises, and with a total capacity of 10 kW, it can generate up to 24 MWh per year. The wind turbine’s advanced design incorporates vertical wings which allows it to efficiently harness the wind from all directions and has an innovative ‘owl’ finish to reduce noise.

And, standing at a height of only 23 m, it avoids any risk of interference with the nearby Zaventem airport’s operations. Harnessing wind power is only one part of TME’s plan - the company’s renewable electricity supply is further boosted with the installation of 1400 photovoltaic panels capable of generating a maximum power of 460 kWp. It is expected that this solar array will generate 360 MWh per year.

100% renewable electricity for EU operations in 2019

Clean energy has been high on Toyota’s European agenda for several years resulting in 100% renewable electricity for all European operations in 2019. The two new installations in Brussels are in line with the company’s strategy to increase its own renewable electricity production at Toyota facilities, following similar investments at other European sites (TPCE solar panels, TMUK solar panels, TMMF solar wall, Zeebrugge windmill, solar panels at Toyota Logistics Centre Madrid).

TME’s facility renewal programme to improve energy efficiency

Over the last 5 years, TME’s facilities have undergone a comprehensive renewal programme to improve their energy efficiency, including the installation of LED lighting, A/C renewal and a new building management system. This has resulted in an overall reduction of electricity consumption by 35% from 5 GWh to 3.3 GWh per year and, thanks to the latest initiatives, TME will now be able to generate more than 10% of the yearly electricity consumption on-site.

Hybrid Global | Fact & Figures

1.6 million	Approx. annual hybrid sales
1997	Launch in Japan of the very first Toyota hybrid, the Toyota Prius
120 million tons	#CO2 savings after selling 15M hybrids
44	Hybrid models sold
>90	Number of countries selling Toyota hybrids

Hybrid Europe | Fact & Figures

3 million	# full hybrids sold in Europe (cumulative, since 2000)
52%	% hybrid mix 2019 in Eu rope
>550k	Hybrids sold in 2019 in Europe
2000	Toyota Prius launch in Europe, start of hybrid sales
20	# full hybrids models in the European line-up: Toyota: 1. Prius PHEV, 2. Prius, 3. Prius+ 4. Camry, 5. Corolla H/B, 6.Corolla Touring Sports, 7. Corolla Sedan 8. C-HR, 9. Yaris 10. RAV4 Lexus: 11. LS500h, 12. RX450h 13.RX450hL, 14. CT200h, 15. IS300h, 16. NX300h, 17. RC300h, 18. LC500h, 19. ES300h, 20. UX250h
4	Number of hybrid related production sites in Europe: Yaris Hybrid in France (Valenciennes), Toyota C-HR and Corolla Sedan Hybrid in Turkey (Adapazari), Corolla H/B and Touring Sports Hybrid in UK (Burnaston) and Hybrid transmissions in Poland (TMMP)

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