Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex (OAC) will begin producing ‘green’ energy through the use of the company’s patented Fumes-to-Fuel system, an eco-friendly, industry-leading pollution-control system that converts emissions from the Ontario plant’s paint shop into electricity to help power the plant.

The new system is expected to eliminate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from the plant and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 88 per cent compared to traditional technologies.

The Fumes-to-Fuel project is a direct result of the $1 billion Ford invested in the Oakville plant in 2004. “The Oakville Assembly installation is the first of its kind in the world to harvest emissions from an automotive facility for use in a fuel cell”, says Mark Wherrett, Senior Environmental Engineer for Ford Motor Company. “It offers the perfect solution to one of the industry’s biggest environmental challenges.”

Fumes-to-Fuel was developed as an environmentally responsible technology to remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the painting operation's exhaust air.  Carbon beads are used to capture the VOCs, resulting in clean exhaust air. The VOCs are then released from the carbon beads and processed for use in the fuel cell. The fuel cell converts the VOCs into electricity.

Ford [www.ford.ca] is yet another global leader that finds opportunity in Canada.

Additional Facts

• Ford of Canada’s operations include a national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, four vehicle-assembly and engine-manufacturing plants and two parts-distribution centres.
• Ford employs more than 7,000 people in Canada, while an additional 19,000 people are employed by more than Ford 400 dealerships across the country.
• Ford has invested more than $10 billion in its Canadian operations since 1990.