Paint by Numbers
September 17, 2024
Paint shops, major users of an assembly plant’s overall energy and water resources, also generate around 65% of a plant’s overall CO2. One could say that the road to achieving Stellantis’ ambition to become carbon net zero by 2038* runs through its paint shops.
As a result of an ambitious transformation, however, Stellantis paint shops have already achieved a 27% decrease in energy consumption vs. 2021. By the end of 2025, they are targeting a 50% reduction, with an average of only 321 kWh/vehicle.
In our painting processes, solvent- and water-based paint processes are used with a spectrum of automation and technology levels, representing many energy and CO2 reduction opportunities. Our current strategy is to bring about profound changes by adopting the most effective technical solutions and cost-saving measures, all while continuing to ensure the highest quality finishes for vehicles and internal components.
The following three key areas of transformation have been pinpointed for immediate and medium-term actions.
Process Transformation
One of the major evolutions is a reduction in the number of baking operations during the painting process. Moving to a four-wet (compact) painting process away from the traditional two-wet painting process enables paint shops to apply four coatings with only two curing ovens. By contrast, the two-wet painting process requires four energy-consuming ovens to heat and dry each coating, reducing energy consumption by up to 30%.
An aggressive global roadmap has been implemented to transform the Stellantis paint shops to the four-wet process:
- In 2022, our Gliwice, Poland paint shop started four-wet production and is now a benchmark with energy consumption of only 245 kWh/vehicle.
- 14 more paint shops will complete the transformation to the four-wet process in 2024 − nine in Europe, three in North America and two in South America.
- By the end of 2024, Stellantis will have transformed 70% (25) of its existing paint shops to the four-wet process, with all new paint shops designed to use the four-wet paint process.
Electrifying Painting Processes
Another driver for CO2 reduction is the electrification of paint shops. Traditionally, paint-curing ovens have been powered by natural gas. New paint shops are being built with electric ovens while existing ovens are shifting from natural gas to green or renewable electricity.
Energy reduction initiatives, such as spray booth air recycling combined with electrification provide the best synergies for capital expenditure efficiency and CO2 reduction. Additionally, the shift to electric from natural gas-powered curing ovens, gains even more significance when green electricity (photovoltaic, wind, geothermal and biomass) is procured or self-generated.
Our plan includes synchronizing each plant’s electrification transformation plan with the Company’s energy autonomy plan to cover 75% of paint shops. Meanwhile, ongoing electrification projects in Spain, including a new two-tone paint line in Madrid that incorporates an electric oven and spray booth, and electrification of the paint shop in Zaragoza are set to begin with E-coat ovens in 2025.
The Paint Shop at the Zaragoza Plant in Spain
New Materials
In the past couple of years, the Stellantis paint team developed and validated a new generation of innovative sealers, paint and low-bake E-coats, opening additional opportunities for some plants to reduce CO2, including:
- Lower bake E-coat, first introduced in France, has spread across Stellantis paint shops achieving energy and cost savings.
- A generation of new lower bake sealers has enabled the four-wet implementations in solvent-based paint shops in England, France, Portugal and Spain, and has overcome significant constraints.
- A new generation of two-tone monocoat paint has been implemented in Brazil and spread to other regions.
The new paint shop scheduled to open at our plant in Sochaux, France in 2025, is emblematic of our comprehensive global strategy for paint shop transformations, embracing electrification, reducing energy consumption and shrinking its footprint while also focusing on becoming our first carbon-neutral paint shop in the world.
These transformations support our ambition to become a carbon net zero corporation that leads the way the world moves by providing clean, safe and affordable mobility for all.
* Includes Scopes 1 and 2 (-75% in absolute emissions – tons of CO2 equivalent) and Scope 3 (-50% in emission intensity – tons of CO2 equivalent per vehicle)