The latest star in our solar system
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The photovoltaic system on the CASE Construction Equipment plant in Pithampur (India) will generate some 600 MWh of electricity a year to take the total we generate from the sun to more than 4.6 GWh, helping CNH toward our 2030 renewable energy goals
CNH’s worldwide solar panel initiative is part of the Company’s long-term strategy to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 50 percent from their 2018 level and source 90 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Our medium-term target is to have nine plants with roof-mounted photovoltaic systems by the end of 2024. The latest project to install 1,100 panels at our plant in Pithampur, where we manufacture construction equipment, takes our current total to six.
Before any plant gets the go-ahead to become part of the scheme, the central Energy department at CNH, led by Maria Francesca Drago, carefully reviews its viability. Her department together with the local teams, have assessed and accepted thirty CNH plants around the world out of a possible total of 43 into the long-term project.
Drago explains that when a photovoltaic system project is launched, her and her team’s work includes collecting and examining information on the number of hours of sunlight at the location, the amount of solar radiation, the available roof space, the cost of solar-generated energy, the amount and cost of the energy the plant consumes and any additional measures needed to make the plant solar-panel ready. “In some cases, this has included strengthening the roof or removing asbestos,” she says.
IN INDIA, THE OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE SOLAR ENERGY IS MASSIVE. SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE THREE THOUSAND HOURS OF SUNSHINE A YEAR
Left: Worldwide locations of the six current CNH plants with photovoltaic system installations. Right: The 1,100 panels at Pithampur generate some 600 MWh a year — about 20 percent of the plant’s annual energy needs.
Reducing carbon emissions and energy costs in India
In India, the opportunity to generate solar energy is massive. Some areas of the country have three thousand hours of sunshine a year and the Indian government is keen to encourage solar projects and has set a target to generate half of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. However, today, some 80 percent of its electricity is still provided by coal, oil and solid biomass, so our solar power will help achieve national sustainability goals.
Over the photovoltaic installation’s 25-year lifetime, the 1,100 photovoltaic panels at Pithampur will save approximately 9,867 metric tons of CO₂ (citizens in India currently produce 1.74 metric tons of CO₂ per capita per year). They will also generate some 600 MWh a year — about 20 percent of the plant’s annual electricity needs — delivering substantial cost savings, too.
“The photovoltaic panel energy costs 4.15 rupees per KWh. In the market we buy energy at about eight rupees, so it’s saving lots of money,” says Satendra Tiwari, Head of Manufacturing and Process Optimization at the plant.
Ultimately, Tiwari and his team hope to install twice as many panels, as there is still plenty of roof space available.
“We are authorized to install a 500 kWp [Kilowatt peak power output] photovoltaic system as per government policy. We are in discussions with state authorities to see if we can double this with a total of 2,200 panels,” he explains.
One unexpected factor that had to be taken into consideration when planning and executing the installation of the panels was supply issues. “We started this project during COVID-19 when everyone was struggling to get semiconductors,” remembers his colleague Amit Kumar Tiwari, Electrical Maintenance Manager at the plant. Fortunately, the contractor managing the project and his team managed to source the semiconductors and the project took off. “We were working with Amplus Solar," Amit Kumar Tiwari says.
The plant at Pithampur is relatively new and was designed and built with sustainability in mind, so the roof was able to take the additional load. “The vision of our senior management is that new plants and facilities should be constructed to be able to take the load of photovoltaic panels. That meant we didn’t have to reinforce the roof, which helped us with the timeline,” Satendra Tiwari says.
Everybody working at the plant was keen to see the photovoltaic system installed. Now, they want more. “We’ve even had colleagues approach us for information about how they might get photovoltaic panels for their homes and we’ve arranged a number of sessions to help educate them about this,” says Mayank Trivedi, Plant Maintenance Manager.
Trivedi’s comments reflect the enthusiasm among the Pithampur workforce just months after the project was completed. They also underscore our progress toward a better future, integrating sustainability into our day-to-day operations and involving all our stakeholders.
THE SIX PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY UP AND RUNNING ARE GENERATING 4.6 GWH OF POWER FROM THE SUN, SAVING ABOUT 2,500 METRIC TONS OF CO₂ EMISSIONS EACH YEAR
Working toward long-term targets
The six plant photovoltaic projects already up and running, including the latest at Pithampur, are generating 4.6 GWh of power from the sun, saving about 2,500 metric tons of CO₂ emissions each year. Drago and her team are considering three more that could be operational by the end of 2024, one of which would be the largest installation to date. “One will be in Italy and will have a peak power output of about 3.3 MWp,” Drago says enthusiastically.
As the central Energy team has identified a further 21 potential sites, we are confident that this will contribute to CNH’s ultimate target of sourcing 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The bonus is that we are also inspiring our workforce to learn about the benefits of photovoltaic systems and even invest in their own to save on electricity costs and reduce their individual carbon footprints.
Left: plaque for the inauguration of the photovoltaic system at the Pithampur plant. Right: The product range manufactured at the Pithampur plant.
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