BMW
The aluminum produced with solar energy is processed into body and drive components in BMW’s light metal foundry in Landshut.
(Photo: AP)
Munich BMW will in future buy aluminum for its engine and body components, which is melted using solar power from the Arabian desert. This will save 2.5 million tons of CO2 over the next ten years and is an important step towards reducing CO2 emissions in the supplier network by 20 percent by then, said Andreas Wendt, the purchasing director in Munich on Tuesday.
Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) is to deliver 43,000 tons of aluminum to BMW this year alone for a three-digit million amount. EGA is the first company in the world to use solar power for the commercial production of aluminum – initially only for the customer BMW. The electricity for the aluminum melt comes from a desert solar park near Dubai.
The production of aluminum consumes a lot of energy, but with its low weight, it is intended to partially compensate for the high weight of the batteries in electric cars. The aluminum produced with solar energy is processed into body and drive components in BMW’s light metal foundry in Landshut, where it covers almost half of the annual requirement.
More: The hunt for the super battery: This technology is intended to solve the problems of electromobility
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and be notified by email.