At the German Mercedes-Benz plants in Woerth, Kassel, Gaggenau, and Mannheim, assembly of the new plants began in the autumn, and they are scheduled to be connected to the grid by May 2023. Currently, 5,400 kWp of photovoltaic modules are installed at the German truck sites, so that - together with existing systems - up to 5,700 MWh of electricity can be generated per year. The more than 13,000 modules, which are mainly installed on building roofs, have a surface area of around 39,000 m².
Sebastian Brendel, responsible for central energy and environmental management, said: “We are working intensively to achieve CO₂-neutrality and decarbonisation at our sites around the world and see great potential here in the future. The expansion of photovoltaics is an important contribution to Daimler Truck's sustainable business strategy and a major step toward energy independence for the production sites."
The initiative at the German truck locations kicked off in 2019 at the plant in Kassel: A 4,000 m² photovoltaic system has been installed on the roof of a new production hall and has been supplying the hall's production with electricity since its commissioning.
The photovoltaic expansion at the German sites is part of an ongoing global initiative. Around 7,200 kWp[i] of photovoltaic modules have already been installed worldwide, enabling the company to generate around 7,900 MWh of electricity per year.
In the coming years, the share will be further expanded so that in the future, around 150,000 kWp of photovoltaic modules will be installed worldwide, capable of generating around 290,000 MWh of electricity per year. For example, PV systems with a total area of over 14,800 m² have already been installed in the USA and Mexico with an expected annual generation of around 1,700 MWh. PV projects are also currently being implemented at other plants, for example in Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.