BMW Group plant in Steyr changes its energy source

The Group’s Steyr plant makes a complete transition to district heating: in regular operation, the engine factory in Austria no longer uses natural gas, but instead relies on heat from a nearby biomass power plant. In a symbolic move, Milan Nedeljković, a member of the Board of Directors in charge of BMW AG’s production, and Arnold Schwarzenegger put in place the provision of the new energy source. This change marks another step in BMW Group’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. Milan Nedeljković, a member of the BMW AG Board of Directors responsible for Production said: “We are improving the carbon footprint of all our production facilities worldwide, using innovative technologies and the potential of the region to produce energy from fossil-free sources. Today, we set a new milestone here in Steyr”. Steady reduction in energy consumption The BMW Group plant in Steyr uses approximately 250 GWh of energy annually – enough to feed about 59,000 homes. In recent years, energy consumption has steadily decreased: “Since 2006 we have been able to cut almost half the amount of energy we use per engine,” explained factory manager Klaus von Moltke. Heat supply plays a particularly important role in all of this: “The unit was first connected to the district heating network in 2012. Since then multiple extensions have been made,” Klaus von Moltke continued. The transition to gross district heating was expected to be completed in late 2024 with early 2025, but has now been completed two and a half months earlier. Local warming from crushed timber The change would not have been possible without a strong partner in the region: The BMW Group plant in Steyr is now supplied heat from Fernwärme Steyr’s biomass plant, located less than one kilometer away. This unit is managed by the two state energy providers – Energie AG Oberösterreich Erzeugung GmbH and EVN Wärme GmbH – through their joint subsidiary, Bioenergie Steyr GmbH. To provide the thermal energy needed by the Steyr plant, an additional heat plant with a 10 MW biomass boiler was created at the premises. Thus, the plant in Steyr will procure the heat it uses from renewable sources, namely crushed timber from surrounding forests. Klaus von Moltke said recap: “By switching to 100% heat from renewable biomass, we are taking an important step today. Our factory now supplies both the electricity and heat it uses for its regular operation from renewable sources.” The symbolic move to change the energy source was carried out with more than a thousand workers present. In his main speech Arnold Schwarzenegger invited all attendees to act on climate change. It then closed the gas supply of the plant. Then Milan Nedeljković, a member of the Board of Directors responsible for BMW AG’s Production, symbolically put into operation the final expansion of district heating. Arnold Schwarzenegger then followed Klaus von Moltke and Milan Nedeljcović for a tour of the training and training centre, engine assembly and electric engine production line of the BMW Group plant in Steyr that was recently inaugurated, while chatting with the workers.