Milan Nedeljkovic, BMW’s production Chief, has told Reuters that the Carmaker is exploring new investments in solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy.
The energy investments are aimed at cutting the carmaker’s dependence on natural gas in the light of a possible embargo on Russian gas would bring the industry to a standstill.
The carmaker relied on natural gas for 54% of its energy consumption in 2021.
Now, BMW is examining where it can add solar panels to its plants and developing plans with local authorities to transport hydrogen to its plant in Leipzig, Germany.
BMW’s plans syncs with Germany’s industrial shift away from Russian gas and need for a system to ration available supplies in the event of a sudden halt to deliveries.
Beyond Germany, a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, which BMW has said will be the world’s first auto factory to run entirely without fossil fuels, will rely heavily on solar, Nedelkjovic said, adding that the carmaker was also looking into using geothermal energy.
