Lenovo factory in Tianjin goes carbon neutral

Technology multinational Lenovo's factory in Binhai New Area, Tianjin, has achieved carbon neutrality through emission reduction and the use of green energy, supplemented by carbon trading, realizing zero emissions in production, according to the company.

The "zero-carbon" factory at Lenovo Group's Innovation Park is the first factory in China's information and communication technology industry to receive the highest-level ecological zero-carbon certification. The use of green energy sources such as solar and wind power has reduced the consumption of non-renewable resources, and via the factory's architectural design, annual carbon reductions can exceed 700 metric tons, said Xie Xiaoke, deputy general manager of Lenovo (Tianjin) Co.

"As one of the earliest domestic technology companies to engage in low-carbon practices and fulfill social responsibilities, we actively responded to the national dual-carbon strategy and fulfill our low-carbon commitments," Xie said.

The concept of a "zero-carbon factory" prioritizes conservation during the production process, promotes technological carbon neutrality and carbon offset measures, and emphasizes extending responsibility, he added.

In May this year, an executive meeting of the State Council approved the Action Plan for Green and Low-Carbon Development in the Manufacturing Industry (2025-27). The plan highlights key areas including green technological innovation, advanced green technologies, green products and carbon footprint accounting for industrial products.

Lenovo's Tianjin factory features a host of innovative approaches aimed at cutting emissions, such as installed glass coated with a photovoltaic layer to generate solar electricity. Over 800 square meters of glass at the factory have this covering, resulting in an annual carbon reduction capacity of 72 tons.

This park makes full use of clean energy sources such as solar and wind power, including rooftop distributed solar photovoltaic, photovoltaic materials in corridors, floor fountains, wind-solar hybrid street lights, photovoltaic courtyard lights, photovoltaic charging seats, and photovoltaic sensor-equipped trash cans.

"The three main production buildings in the park have 30,000 sq m of distributed photovoltaic panels installed on their roofs, accounting for 30 percent of the total park area," Xie said. "These panels can generate 5 million kilowatt-hours of green energy annually, supplying electricity to 2,000 households for a year and reducing carbon emissions by 3,000 tons for the park each year."

With a green and zero-carbon design philosophy, the zero-carbon factory's smart manufacturing workshop features over 110 intelligent scenarios. Among them, the notebook computer production line applies advanced intelligent technologies such as intelligent algorithms and 5G networks, producing one notebook computer every 9 seconds with an annual output of 1.8 million units. The automation rate of this production line has reached 60 percent, the highest level in the personal computer assembly field.

"Smart manufacturing and green zero-carbon initiatives complement each other in the park. High automation brings resource conservation and efficiency improvements, while progress toward zero-carbon drives innovations in smart manufacturing," Xie said.

The factory also recycles resources, recovers heat emitted by air compressors to reduce thermal pollution and energy waste, with an annual recovery capacity of 1.12 million kWh, saving over 800,000 yuan ($113,000) in electricity expenses. Additionally, a plastic recycling system, transforming plastic waste into resources used in notebook computer batteries, speakers, sound cards and packaging materials, further promotes sustainable development in the manufacturing industry.

Xie said that Fudan University's Executive Master of Business Administration program and the School of Economics and Management at Tianjin University are introducing Lenovo Group's Tianjin zero-carbon factory as a case study in their courses, aiming to assist other companies in transitioning to zero-carbon manufacturing and zero-carbon factories.

Chen Yijun contributed to this story.