To limit our impact on the environment, our goal is to reduce our use of energy and resources per unit produced and improve the energy efficiency of VAT’s products. We for instance plan to increase the recycling rate of the scrap metal to 100% and conduct a water stress assessment per VAT location by the end of 2025.
VAT strives to ensure the longest possible life cycle of its products and retrofits fabs to products with better sustainability performance. We also aim to provide product specific information on sustainability and circularity to clients for 20% of sales by the end of 2025.
In parallel, we want to position VAT as a key player in the development and scaling of sustainable technologies across all industries.
Taking a full life cycle view for value creation, by reducing the need for virgin materials, VAT seeks to extend the lifespan of VAT's products and take ownership for its end of life. VAT also strives to use its production assets for as long as possible before they are discarded as waste. By managing the sustainability attributes of our products' packaging, we create also opportunities to reduce input and transport costs.
We want to improve our EcoDesign principles, adopting practices that promote the efficient use of aluminum, water and other resources. Thereby VAT can enhance cost-effectiveness, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to the overall sustainability of our operations. By prioritizing waste reduction, recycling, and proper disposal methods, we aim to minimize our ecological footprint, conserve resources, and promote a circular economy.
In parallel, we continuously increase the value of our service offering to improve products' longevity and the enhance their circularity.
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VAT aims to position itself as a key player in the development and scaling of sustainable technologies across all industries. We innovate to offer vacuum solutions enabling tomorrow’s sustainable technologies.
Renewable energy and the need to address climate change is another growth driver for VAT. Vacuum valves are used to manufacture high-efficiency solar photovoltaic panels, and high-power semiconductors are needed to integrate the fluctuating levels of electricity generated from wind and solar installations into conventional power grids designed to carry steady loads from large power plants. Semiconductors are also critical components of electric vehicles, whose growing use promises to improve urban air quality around the world, while vacuum valves are also used in direct air carbon capture, in existing nuclear power generation as well as in research for future fusion power generation.
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In addition to the corporate carbon footprint, VAT has established Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for two of its bestselling products, namely the 65.3 and the 10.8 valves. Both EPD reveal that the product specific carbon footprint is driven on the one hand by the input materials, particularly aluminum and steel and on the other hand from the use of the products in the device manufacturing. While both electric and pneumatic use, are associated with energy consumption, the electric use of VAT valves is assumed to be significantly more energy efficient. Ultimately the emissions from the use phase depend on the grid mix where the device is being used.
For the coming years VAT will use this information to develop its design criteria, further invest into sustainable R&D and work closely with suppliers and customer to reduce its product’s environmental footprint.
Water is crucial for VAT's product manufacturing as we rely on freshwater for cleaning, rinsing, and cooling purposes, as well as for chemical reactions and wafer fabrication. The quality and availability of water directly impact the efficiency, reliability and overall operability of semiconductor production.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) face increasing scrutiny for their extensive water consumption as semiconductor fabrication requires significant quantities of water. While VAT’s water consumption is minimal compared to semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs), the company faces similar pressure to reduce its water usage within the industry.
By minimizing our water footprint, we also decrease operational costs and increase production resilience.
