Situation

The Renault Palencia body assembly plant, in the locality of Villamuriel de Cerrato (about 8 km from Palencia city centre), covers a surface area of 190 ha, including 29 ha under cover. It is located on an industrial estate surrounded by farming land, and there is a railway line nearby.

Initial ISO 14001 certification obtained in 1999.

ISO 14001 certification renewed in March 2002, 2005, and 2008.

Download :

- site's environmental policy (spanish)

- environmental statement 2002 (spanish/english)

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Water consumption

The installation of the first part of a new closed-loop cooling system achieved a significant reduction in water leaks in the tank and the pipes.

Continuous improvement actions such as detecting leaks and open valves in the collectors and replacement of equipment used to measure consumption were performed to achieve better supervision and more reliable data.

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Water-borne effluents

All modules of the membrane bioreactor  were changed to improve the operation of the facility.

The treatment of cooking oils as reusable waste and the installation of oil separators in loading and unloading areas reduced the oils to be processed in the plant’s industrial waste. 

The plant also has lead-free electrocoating and a holding tank for stormwater and accidental runoff to prevent pollution.

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SO2 and greenhouse gas emissions

The number of tonnes of CO2 emitted are monitored monthly to comply with emissions allowances.

The sharp reduction in gas consumption through energy-saving actions enabled the site to end the year well below the allowances.

The use of renewable energy through solar panels to produce hot water for washrooms also achieved a significant reduction in emissions.

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Volatile organic compounds emissions from paint process

Water-based paint technology, combined with continuous progress actions achieved a significant 60% reduction in emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

Various improvements were also made:

• Colour batches were improved and recovery of dirty purge solvents from painting machinery optimized. 

• Reduced mastic consumption.

• Varnishing was automated to improve application efficiency and therefore VOC emissions.
  
  

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Waste

The installation of two new areas for waste sorting improved recycling of waste such as cables, scrap metal and wood.
We separated and recovered some waste such as disused electrical and electronic appliances and plastic valves. Replacement of containers and better signage in sorting areas improved waste sorting.

A 9% reduction in the number of kg per vehicle of Hazardous Industrial Waste (HIW) was achieved in 2007.

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Energy

An energy-saving plan is coordinated by an energy-saving committee with members from all departments of the plant.  The following actions were implemented:

• Variable frequency drives installed in the paint booths

• Hot water system for handwashing made more reliable

• Reduced lighting consumption

• Improved building insulation to reduce heat loss

• Improvements in the high-pressure hot water system

• Solar panels installed to produce hot water for handwashing.
  

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Highlights

 

2007 was a year of change in preparation for a new model. It was therefore very important to factor the environment into the new projects and ensure that suppliers working on the premises complied with environmental procedures. To improve waste sorting, we increased the number of sorting areas and recovery of some types of waste.

• Communication – World Environment Day

All the Renault España plants met for World Environment Day on 5 June 2007. The company organized activities, presentations and awards for best practices, and a talk on the automotive industry and its environmental impact. During the week, other activities (exhibitions, photography competitions and tours of facilities) were organized.

• Communication – New vehicle project

The Palencia plant organized two meetings with its suppliers and service providers to look at the main environmental procedures specific to the plant. We improved supervision of chemicals used on the premises of many of our suppliers.

• Management

The Environmental Management System introduced at the Palencia plant was deployed across the various levels of the company. The EMS has been incorporated into the general organization of the plant and is consistent with the quality system in place (audit, management review, joint training and communication, etc.), making it possible to establish the basic principles for environmental policy.  The environment plan is part of a cross-functional plan coordinated by the environmental committee of each department.