Volvo Trucks said its New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin, VA, is the first U.S. facility to be certified under both the top international standard and the top U.S. certification program for driving continuous improvements in energy efficiency.
NRV is certified to ISO 50001 in the U.S. under a pilot program supported by the Dept. of Energy (DOE) and the first facility SEP-certified to use ISO 50001 under a new pilot accreditation. NRV was SEP certified at a platinum level — the highest available —for improving energy performance by more than 15% during the three-year period after establishing an energy baseline.
These certifications will help the NRV plant further reduce its energy intensity to ultimately become carbon neutral, according to Volvo.
“SEP and ISO 50001 certifications are an honor and a direct reflection of the environmental commitment of our entire organization,” said Lars Blomberg, Volvo Trucks vice president and general manager of the NRV assembly plant. “These certifications required a high degree of cooperation — a total plant effort. Employees at all levels have been actively engaged throughout our entire energy reduction journey.”
“All layers of our organization are dedicated to lean concepts and implementing new ways to reduce energy,” Blomberg said. “Reducing energy while improving efficiency has helped us remain very competitive during a time when some companies are moving their manufacturing operations to lower cost environments.”
“Congratulations to all the NRV employees for their many contributions to help achieve these leading-edge energy certifications,” said Ron Huibers, president, Volvo Trucks North American sales & marketing. “The lean, energy-focused culture and total commitment to NRV’s carbon-neutral initiative is evident through the achievement of these two national certifications.”
“The tremendous energy reduction efforts at NRV have really resonated with our customers visiting the plant as well. They know their Volvo trucks are fuel efficient and they can see how that care for the environment is intertwined throughout the Volvo culture and manufacturing process,” Huibers said.
Every Volvo truck sold in North America is assembled in the U.S. at the NRV plant.
