BUFFALO, W.Va. — Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia has announced plans ton install what will be the largest solar array in all of West Virginia to help offset the use of carbon fuels in the Buffalo factory.
“Toyota continuously looks for new ways to reduce water usage, recycle materials and conserve energy, and we are proud to add solar panels to our line-up of best practices,” said Kevin Bell, TMNA Energy Manager in a company news release. “We are committed to setting an example of sustainability to show how a company can significantly reduce the environmental impact of its operations.”
The Buffalo plan will have a solar array covering six acres and generating 2.6 megawatts of solar generated energy.. It’s a $4.9 Million investment which company officials anticipate will reduce CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,822 metric tons annually. The project is expected to be completed by March 2021.
It’s part of a larger project in which the Japanese automaker is also installing solar arrays at the company’s operations in Alabama and Missouri. Company officials say it’s part of the company’s commitment to eliminate all carbon emissions from manufacturing by 2050.
Established in 1996, TMMWV manufactures nearly one million engines and transmissions for the Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Rav4 and Lexus ES and RX350. Additionally, in June 2020 TMMWV became the first Toyota facility in North America to begin producing hybrid transaxles, which are built for the Highlander and Sienna.