SORALUCE OBTAINS THE PRESTIGIOUS LEED CERTIFICATE, REAFFIRMING ITS COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.

06 May, 2024Soraluce, a leader in milling, boring, multifunction and automation solutions, has received the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate for its new assembly plant, located at its headquarters in the Osintxu district of Bergara.
The new plant, which was inaugurated in June 2023 by the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu Renteria, has a built surface area of 2,500 m² (Soraluce has a total manufacturing surface area of 30,000 m2), which is divided into an industrial part, for the assembly of machines, and an annex building, for offices and changing rooms.

To be first is to be at the forefront, to look where others do not look and to strive for continuous improvement. Thus, at Soraluce, the growing awareness of environmental, social and industrial challenges leads us to build towards the future. The new assembly plant is designed and built from a sustainable point of view and has been awarded LEED GOLD certification, the first in its sector to obtain this certification.

This achievement highlights Soraluce's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and to the design and construction of sustainable, statically advanced buildings that are integrated with their surroundings. LEED certification, awarded by the US Green Building Council, recognises and values the efforts of organisations to design, construct and operate buildings that are environmentally friendly and resource efficient.

Highlights of the project that contributed to this prestigious certification include: building geometry, building envelope, glazing, façade orientation, water consumption reduction, land use and landscaping, project life cycle and many other aspects.

• Energy Efficiency: Implementation of technologies and practices that significantly reduce energy consumption, contributing to the mitigation of climate change. The plant has a 131 kW photovoltaic installation that provides 55% of the energy consumed by the building.
• Water management: Innovative strategies for sustainable water management, including reducing consumption and implementing recycling systems. Even the planting of native species has been carried out to eliminate the need for irrigation.
• Sustainable Materials: Selection of construction materials and finishes that minimise environmental impact and promote sustainable production. Low emission and low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) finishing, thermal insulation, roofing and partitioning materials have been used.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: Focus on creating healthy and comfortable indoor spaces for occupants, promoting productivity and well-being.
• Location and transport: 5% of the car park is reserved for preferential parking spaces for ECO vehicles with charging sockets. In addition, bicycle racks have been installed to encourage and facilitate ecological and healthy mobility.

Rafael Idigoras, Managing Director of Soraluce, commented on this achievement: ‘We are always thinking about tomorrow, from the local to the global; as this LEED certification not only looks at the construction process, but also verifies that our new building in Osintxu (Bergara) has been built under eco-efficiency standards, also assessing its waste management, energy consumption inside or the commitment to green mobility. We are thrilled to receive the LEED certificate, which reflects our firm commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This achievement is the result of the hard work and dedication of our team and our vision to lead the change towards more sustainable business practices.

This milestone not only demonstrates Soraluce's excellence in terms of business management, but also reinforces its position as a leader and example of the industry's commitment to building a greener, more sustainable future.

‘We have been revolutionising our industry for more than six decades, and now we are once again reinforcing our leadership by achieving LEED GOLD certification. Because there is always someone who dares to try. Someone who sees it first, imagines it, thinks it, understands it, believes it and creates it. That is why our new claim ‘There is only one first’ is a motivational message for us. One that pushes us to work even harder every day to be that company that changes the rules and sets new paths", Idigoras points out.

Osintxu Bizi

SORALUCE S.Coop. actively contributes to sustainable development and the generation of a positive impact on society and its immediate environment, a true reflection of the co-operative values and principles that guide its activity. Concepts such as job creation, solidarity-based distribution of wealth, cooperation and inter-cooperation, social transformation and commitment form part of its DNA.

The new assembly plant means the expansion of Soraluce's local industrial capacity and also enhances the value of industrial land currently in disuse, thus improving the public urban development of this area and the integration and regeneration of the urban and industrial areas of the Osintxu neighbourhood.

In addition to its firm commitment to the sustainable development of its business activity in the Osintxu and Mekolalde neighbourhoods of Bergara, Soraluce is an active part of the Osintxu Bizi project, a collaborative platform made up of the Bergara Town Council, SORALUCE S.Coop. and residents of the neighbourhood that promotes progress from a multidimensional approach that encompasses economic, urban, environmental and social aspects. Specifically, improving facilities, public spaces, equipment, mobility, commercial activity and everything that leads to making life in the neighbourhood better and more attractive and boosting its prosperity. The project, which has been active since 2021, has allowed, among other initiatives, the reopening of the neighbourhood's Haur Eskola since that same year.