Producing diesel engines at our wind-powered Dagenham plant is saving 6,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from entering the atmosphere and diverting over 12,600 tons from being sent to a landfill.
Dagenham Diesel Centre
Ford Dagenham is celebrating the start of production of economical 1.4- and 1.6-litre diesel engines. The engines' machining and assembly operation was installed with the target of achieving best-in-class environmental protection.
The 1.4/1.6 assembly engine line is in Dagenham Diesel Centre, Ford's only wind-powered plant in the world, which is powered by 3.6MW capacity turbines producing over 6 million kWh of renewable electricity.
Building Greener
When Dagenham Diesel Centre was being prepared for its new 1.4/1.6 line, alongside the existing 2.7/3.6 facility, 20,000 square meters of old concrete was broken, pulverized and reused for the production hall floor.
Cleaner Manufacturing Process
Metal-working fluids and the associated waste is potentially the most environmentally damaging part of engine production. To make the process more environmentally friendly, fluids used during the machining of new Dagenham-built engines are now blended from vegetable, rather than mineral, oil.
Because vegetable oil-based lubricants are used at reduced concentrations compared with conventional fluids, coolant consumption is down from 350,000 liters in 2003 to 204,000 liters last year. Combined oil conservation at Ford Dagenham exceeds 500,000 liters per year.
Improved Efficiency Saves Money
Ford Dagenham's gas and electricity bills are down by 12 percent, thanks to a strict focus on making energy-intensive operations, such as the generation of compressed air for handheld tools on the production line, more efficient. High-use equipment on Dagenham's new 1.4/1.6 line now requires 70 percent less energy than other manufacturing lines.
Awards
Ford Dagenham's eco-efficiency drive was nominated at Business in the Community's national "Awards for Excellence 2007" gala in July 2007, attended by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Business in the Community President the Prince of Wales.
Dagenham's national eco-efficiency nomination followed regional success for the project, and other wins for Ford from Business in the Community. In its East of England awards, Ford received a further six honors for its Essex-based teams.
