Plant logistics
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.
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.
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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”.
