Rivian has turned on their new wind turbine at their manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois. With the addition of the massive new wind turbine, Rivian will soon see every new vehicle rolling off the assembly line receive its initial charge from 100% renewable energy.
Construction of the wind turbine started in May and as of this week it is now fully operational, supporting Rivian’s long-term renewable energy vision and their environmental goals. The wind turbine isn’t the only way the company is moving towards those goals. Rivian has also installed a 783-kilowatt (kW) solar canopy at the facility last year.
The wind turbine boasts a capacity of at least 2.8 megawatts (MW), generating up to 10 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. To put that number into perspective that is the equivalent to powering 890 average sized homes in the US. The turbined is expected to be operational for 25-years, over which time is is expected to prevent around 177,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, or the equivalent of approximately 34,000 internal combustion engine vehicles from the road for an entire year.
The project will also lead to substantial energy cost savings for the plant throughout its operational life.
“To us, our job isn’t done when our vehicles come off the line. While we’re working hard to help electrify transportation, we’re also pushing to accelerate the shift to carbon-free electricity for all. This wind turbine is an early step on that path and is also a beacon of our vision for a clean energy future,” said Andrew Peterman, Rivian’s Director of Renewable Energy.
As part of their Climate Pledge, Rivian has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
