Magna’s transmission plant in Modugno, Italy is dedicated to sustainability, from purchasing CO2 emissions-free “green” energy from renewable resources to installing 1,300 photovoltaic solar panels on top of the shelters in its parking lot.
The solar panels, which generate electricity directly from sunlight, were installed in 2018 as part of a major expansion of the facility.
“They provide less than one percent of the energy we use, so it’s a small contribution, ” explained Franco Modeo, the plant’s senior manager of environmental, health and safety. “But the solar panels send a message to our community that it’s important to create a culture of environmental responsibility.”
The Modugno plant’s “green” culture includes recycling waste; reducing consumption of water, oil and chemicals; using durable and reusable packaging, and issuing its own sustainability report.
The Transmission Systems facility significantly reduced its carbon footprint in 2017 by joining four other Magna plants to purchase “green” energy from renewable resources such as solar, wind and water at a lower cost. The other divisions are the Magna Powertrain plants in Neuenstein, Rosenberg, Untergruppenbach and Bad Windsheim, Germany.
Sustainability is a moving target at the Modugno facility, with the bar always set higher once a goal is achieved.
The next step?
“In the future, we want to produce our own energy with an electrical generator,” Modeo said. “The heat will produce thermal energy for our facility. Our people are aware that we are facing the issue of climate change. We know it is important to do whatever you can to support the environment.”
Franco Modeo, Sustainability manager at Magna transmission plant in Modugno, Italy
Franco Modeo not only oversees sustainability at the Magna transmission plant in Modugno, Italy, he harnesses the power of the sun at home.
“We live in a sunny region in the south of Italy,” he said. “I have solar panels at home. I don’t use gas or electricity to warm up water, and, if I run the washing machine when the sun is shining, I don’t need electricity from the network.”
He adds: “We always try to reduce our energy consumption, not just in the company, but in the community.”