Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced the opening of its new smart factory in Dunavecse, Hungary. The site covers 28,000 m2 and will be the workplace of up to 500 employees.
Dunavecse plant increases production capacity for engineering-to-order (ETO) solutions. These are orders where production starts only after the order is received so that it can be delivered exactly to the customer's specifications. As much as 90% of the products made in this new smart factory will be exported to European countries. This investment in capacity helps meet the increased demand for electrification and digitalisation solutions across Europe. This demand is driven by the energy transition, with utilities in electricity distribution seeking solutions that offer more reliability and flexibility in their networks. There is also strong growth in the area of data centres, cloud and service providers, driven by digitalisation and the emergence of new technologies.
The new factory is Schneider Electric's 36th smart factory and the 22nd in Europe. It is also Schneider Electric's largest ETO factory to date. The smart factory will serve as the central plant in Europe for Schneider Electric's new SF6-free medium-voltage switchgear, RM AirSeT. This innovation significantly increases the durability of medium-voltage switches, a central technology for the carbon-free power systems on which the energy transition is based. This technology complies with the new F-gases regulations in Europe, which affect all users of medium-voltage switches, from grids to infrastructure.
"Europe is accelerating the energy transition and strengthening its energy independence," said Yann Reynaud, Senior Vice President Global ETO at Schneider Electric. "Dunavecse is our new flagship factory in Europe for smart SF6-free technologies for medium and low voltage to support increasing demand across the region and offer customers even more innovation, sustainability and digital solutions."
Several sustainable technologies have been built in the factory:
- Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure IoT (Building and Energy Management System) solutions improve energy efficiency, with expected energy savings of up to 25%.
- Energy needs are met by rooftop solar panels, supplemented by renewable sources from the grid.
- Geothermal heat pumps are used for heating and cooling.
- Charging stations for up to 30 electric cars and 25 bikes.
- Rainwater collected for use in toilets and for irrigation
- Air locks prevent heat loss at truck docking stations and plant entrances
