In 2005, the MAHLE locations MAHLE Engine Components Japan Corporation, Nishimurayama and Tsuruoka; MAHLE Engine Components (Yingkou) Co., Ltd.; MAHLE Engine Components (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. and MAHLE Shanghai Filter Systems Co., Ltd. were checked for certifiability in an internal audit. The auditing procedures were prepared using established MAHLE standards. The result was positive in all cases and there were no reservations with regard to certification in compliance with ISO 14001, which is planned for 2006.

Heat recovery conserves resources
Our newly constructed plant in Grenchen/Switzerland, and the new German locations in Wölfersheim and Wustermark use energy resources particularly efficiently by means of heat recovery from production facilities. The environmentally friendly technology was a requirement even in the planning stage. The waste heat from cooling plants, sintering furnaces and compressor plants is mainly used directly for heating and producing hot water. In view of the dramatic rise in crude oil prices, these investments will be quickly amortized. The decrease in investments for the smaller-scale heating installation leads to further savings and shortens the amortization period.

Environmental awareness on the basis of a worldwide environmental management system

Award for water conservation
Water is a valuable commodity. For this reason, MAHLE Pistoni Italia S.p.A. in La Loggia initiated a project that aimed to exploit all the possibilities of saving water. All production processes were consistently examined and optimized with regard to their water consumption. The pleasing result was water savings of 40 percent. This success was rewarded by the company Acque Porino. The knowledge gained in Italy can be transferred to other locations – environmental protection that pays off.