U.S. Department of Energy recognizes Fort Wayne Assembly’s 30 percent reduction in natural gas consumption

FORT WAYNE, Indiana. – General Motors is recognized by the Department of Energy for an innovative project that reduced natural gas consumption at the company’s assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, by 30% compared to the 2019 base year.

Maria Vargas, director of the Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge, highlighted GM’s leadership in energy efficiency at the plant today and toured the facility, which uses waste heat from gas-fired generators to heat the plant and protect sprinkler systems from freezing during colder months. GM is working to implement a similar heat recovery system at its St. Catharine’s Propulsion Plant in Ontario, which is expected to be operational next year.

The project is part of GM’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 72% by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. The assembly plant’s carbon reduction from the project is equivalent to the energy needed to heat 4,900 homes for a year, and reduced use of natural gas and electricity will save GM $3.5 million annually.

“Together with GM’s energy team, Fort Wayne Assembly employees have developed an energy solution that helps reduce carbon emissions during the assembly of our best-selling trucks,” said Kathi Walker, GM director of global sustainability strategies. “Whether we build electric or combustion vehicles, we are committed to maximizing the sustainability of our manufacturing processes.”

Fort Wayne Assembly’s 4,300 employees produced more than 292,000 of the best-selling Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks last year.

GM’s Indiana operations employ more than 6,200 people, and according to a study by Oxford Economics, GM’s Indiana operations support an additional 15,050 jobs with partners, suppliers and others. GM has been operating in Indiana for nearly 90 years. Since 2013, we have announced more than $2.8 billion in investments in our Indiana manufacturing operations.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on driving an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. Central to this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture companies sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. For more information about the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in safety services and connected vehicle technology, visit https://www.gm.com.