Škoda Auto has joined the SATURNIN project, which aims to connect various manufacturers and maximise the reuse of steel waste, supporting industrial decarbonisation. Data on sheet metal offcuts from multiple companies are compared with the requirements of other manufacturers to facilitate their reuse. Involving the carmaker’s suppliers helps to reduce energy-intensive steel reprocessing at steelworks, while the carbon-neutral input material aligns with circular economy principles. As part of its corporate strategy, Next Level – Škoda Strategy 2030, the company has committed to achieving carbon-neutral production at all its plants in the Czech Republic and India by the end of the decade.
“Conventional steel processing in foundries remains highly energy intensive. At the same time, we are constantly exploring innovative ways to reduce CO₂ along the entire value chain. Repurposing sheet metal offcuts and making efficient use of any unused material holds significant potential here, fully in line with the approaches and the circular economy principles we develop and apply at Škoda Auto. Another example for the application of these principles is our Curiosity Fuel project, introduced last year, where we repurpose spent coffee bean husks, which would otherwise go to waste, into a tanning agent for the leather in Škoda car seats.”
Andreas Dick, Škoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics
A second life for steel offcuts
Some sheet metal offcuts generated during car body production are large enough to be repurposed – for example, roof sections from vehicles with panoramic sunroofs or side panels. The Czech company Beneva’s SATURNIN project collects data on sheet metal offcuts from various manufacturers and matches them with the needs of producers of smaller components. By reusing these offcuts, waste is transformed back into a valuable raw material, supporting industrial decarbonisation and fostering the development of a circular economy.
Škoda Auto is contributing to the project by supplying offcuts from models such as the Octavia, Karoq, Kodiaq, and Enyaq while also exploring opportunities to repurpose additional components and collaborate with suppliers. By avoiding energy-intensive recycling in steelworks, this approach conserves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and ensures that the new input material is carbon-neutral.
Sustainable development as a core element of Škoda Auto’s operations
In 2013, the Czech carmaker introduced its GreenFuture strategy, built on three key pillars: GreenProduct focuses on developing vehicles that are as environmentally friendly as possible, considering both fuel and energy consumption as well as the materials used and their recyclability; GreenFactory encompasses efforts to make manufacturing more resource-efficient; while GreenRetail promotes eco-friendly operations at dealerships and service centres.
Škoda Auto has implemented various sustainability initiatives in production, including achieving carbon-neutral manufacturing at its Vrchlabí plant and eliminating landfill waste from production across all its facilities since 2020. Under its corporate strategy, Next Level – Škoda Strategy 2030, the company has committed to achieving carbon-neutral production at all its plants in the Czech Republic and India by the end of the decade.
Škoda Auto also provides an online platform showcasing its sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives. Since 2007, the carmaker has published an annual Sustainability Report, which, alongside the Annual Report, offers a comprehensive overview of projects and tangible progress in the field of sustainable development.
SOURCE: Škoda
