New Carbon-Neutral LEGO Factory to be Built in Virginia

Photos used with permission. ©2022 The LEGO Group.

The LEGO Group announces plans to build a $1 billion carbon-neutral run factory in Virginia. This factory will create more than 1,760 jobs in Chesterfield County. Additionally, it will include an onsite solar park that will create enough energy to completely support the factory’s power needs. As the seventh LEGO factory, it will continue to expand the LEGO Group’s global manufacturing network. It will also support the supply chain and continue growth in the USA.

The LEGO factory in Virginia will cost more than $1 billion. The size of the facility will be approximately 1.7 million square feet. It will operate as a carbon-neutral factory, meaning that 100% of the day to day energy needs will be matched by the onsite solar park generating renewable energy. Also, the factory will lower the use of energy and non-renewable resources.

Sustainability

This facility is another precedent of the LEGO Group’s push towards improving sustainability. The use of paper bags, recycled bricks, and the LEGO Replay program are further examples.

Construction will begin in the fall of 2022. Bricks should start being made in the second half of 2025. The LEGO Group will work with the Virginia Talent Accelerator program to build their team.

Currently, the LEGO Group employs about 2,600 people across the United States. The head US office is located in Enfield, CT and operates 100 LEGO stores throughout the country.

It is exciting to see the LEGO Group continue to grow in the United States and North America. Hopefully, this factory will help alleviate some of the supply chain issues and new sets selling out so fast! It is interesting to note how precise these LEGO bricks are made. The molds are to the accuracy of a hair’s width (0.005mm)! This allows what the LEGO Group terms as ‘clutch power’ which holds the bricks together.