In a bid to expand its operations in the region and reduce its carbon footprint, LEGO has signed an agreement to set up its first-ever carbon neutral plant in Binh Duong Province – just over 48 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Carbon neutral, as much as possible.
IMAGE: Rick Mason / Unsplash
Developers plan to achieve the plant's carbon neutral goal by completely relying on rooftop solar panels and a nearby solar farm to generate all power throughout the facility. The project, estimated to cost over US$1 billion, is also set to create 4,000 new jobs over a period of 15 years.
Adding on to its eco-conscious theme, the new LEGO plant will also be EV-friendly and use energy-efficient factory production equipment. But of course, land technically needs to be cleared to make space for the factory. With this in mind, 50,000 trees will also be planted in Vietnam to compensate for vegetation loss.
To clear any misunderstanding, this won't just be LEGO's first carbon neutral plant in Vietnam – it's the company's first-ever, globally, marking a new stepping stone in the race to reduce carbon emissions.
IMAGE: The LEGO Group
IMAGE: The LEGO Group
IMAGE: The LEGO Group
“We are very grateful for the support of the Vietnamese government in helping us achieve our ambition to build our first carbon neutral factory," LEGO Chief Operations Officer, Carsten Rasmussen said.
"Their plans to invest in expanding renewable energy production infrastructure and a collaborative approach to working with foreign companies who are seeking to make high quality investments, were among the factors in our decision to build here."
The new state-of-the-art factory will be located at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP), and will be tasked with moulding and packing processes. Construction is set to begin in the second-half of 2022, with production commencing in 2024.
“We are excited to collaborate with the LEGO Group on this important investment and honored they selected Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park III in Binh Duong Province. We are committed to offering international companies high quality investments and sustainable solutions to create attractive long-term development opportunities," said Nguyen Phu Thinh, General Director of VSIP.
IMAGE: The LEGO Group
The Vietnam plant is one of six LEGO outposts globally, and will only be the second in Asia – the other being in Jixiang, China. The other four plants are located in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and of course, Denmark.
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