BMW plans hydrogen pipeline for Leipzig plant in automotive world-first
BMW Group Plant Leipzig is planning a hydrogen pipeline link with the ambition of becoming the first car plant in the world to receive hydrogen via a pipeline. It will work with gas network operator Mitnetz Gas and gas transporter Ontras Gastransport to achieve this.
BMW's Leipzig plant uses hydrogen to power bivalent burners, as well as forklifts and tug trains
BMW Group
Contracts have now been signed with the two gas companies,
and a 2km-long link is set to be constructed by Mitnetz Gas, which will
eventually connect BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany to the “future core hydrogen
network”.
BMW notes that, working with Ontras Gastransport, it is
currently in the process of agreeing the appropriate connection to the hydrogen
grid. It expects the link to begin delivering hydrogen to the plant in mid-2027,
reaching full operation in 2032.
Once the pipeline is established, it is hoped the need for
deliveries of hydrogen cylinders to the site on trucks will be eliminated,
which could lead to significant time, cost and emissions savings.
“With supplies coming in via the pipeline, we will be able
to use hydrogen in completely new ways – especially for our most
energy-intensive processes, such as our curing ovens in the paintshop,” explained
Petra Peterhänsel, director of BMW Group Plant Leipzig.
As well as using hydrogen to power bivalent burners in its
paintshop, the Leipzig site has a fleet of more than 230 hydrogen fuel
cell-powered intralogistics vehicles – forklifts and tug trains – that refuel
at nine on-site hydrogen refuelling stations.
BMW Group Plant Leipzig has been a testbed for hydrogen-based
transport solutions since 2013, having already seen investments in excess of €5
billion ($5.79bn).
From 2026, BMW
will extend this strategy of transitioning to hydrogen-powered intralogistics
vehicles at another of its plants in Germany – its assembly plant in
Regensburg. This forms part of its iFactory digital and sustainable factory
initiative.
BMW Group has emphasised the role hydrogen will play in its
logistics operations in the immediate future with the launch of its H2Haul
project in February this this year. The project aims to deploy 16 fuel cell
trucks across Europe, including two trucks that are set to run key routes in
Germany, connecting Leipzig, Landsberg and Nuremberg.
“Hydrogen offers distinct benefits for long-haul logistics.”
Dr Michael Nikolaides, head of production network and logistics at BMW Group,
said earlier this year. “Rapid refuelling and extended range mean fuel cell
trucks can complement electric trucks where charging infrastructure is limited.
Our approach integrates multiple technologies to build a resilient,
low-emission logistics network.”
BMW is not the only automotive OEM that’s exploring the
potential of hydrogen in Europe, though. In June, Toyota
rolled out hydrogen fuel cell trucks to move parts from its European parts
centre in Diest, Belgium, to locations in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
“This initiative is in line with Toyota’s goal to reach
carbon neutrality in its logistics operations by 2040, but it also aims to
contribute to growing the hydrogen economy,” said Thiebault Paquet,
vice-president of research and design at Toyota Motor Europe, at the time of
the announcement, noting that heavy-duty fuel cell trucks can boost the demand
for hydrogen.
Both Toyota and BMW have been working together since
September 2024 to jointly develop the next-generation hydrogen fuel cell system
for future hydrogen vehicles.
When it comes to decarbonising road freight, the emphasis
often seems to be on electrification, but when it comes to heavy-duty vehicles,
relying on batteries alone might not be the best way forward. The EU has stated
that developing renewable hydrogen is a priority, noting that accounted for
less than 2% of Europe’s energy consumption in 2022 and was primarily used to
produce chemical products, such as plastics and fertilisers.
Its 2022 REPowerEU Strategy set a target of producing 10
million tonnes of hydrogen and importing a further 10 million tonnes by 2030.
By 2050, it hopes that renewable hydrogen will cover around 10% of the EU’s
energy needs, with an emphasis on using it to decarbonise the transport sector
and “energy-intensive industrial processes”.
