BMW Group Connects Leipzig Plant to Hydrogen Core Grid

In early October, BMW Group Plant Leipzig marked the symbolic groundbreaking for an approximately two-kilometre hydrogen pipeline connecting the site to the future hydrogen core network. Completion and connection are planned for the first half of 2028. The site will become the world’s first automotive plant to receive hydrogen directly via a pipeline.

The milestone was attended by Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer and Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport. The participation of state and federal representatives underlines the project’s significance: developing high-performance hydrogen infrastructure is a shared responsibility for companies, energy partners and policymakers, and an important contribution to ensuring the long-term viability of industrial sites in Germany. This hydrogen pipeline project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Free State of Saxony and makes an important contribution to developing future-ready hydrogen infrastructure in Saxony.

“For years, BMW has demonstrated how hydrogen can be used in industrial production. The new pipeline will make Leipzig an anchor point for the hydrogen economy and one of the first industrial sites in Saxony to connect to the hydrogen core network. This strengthens our industry’s competitiveness and lays the foundation for delivering hydrogen where it is needed for production,” said Minister-President Kretschmer at the symbolic groundbreaking.

BMW Group Advances Innovative Hydrogen Use in Leipzig

The Leipzig plant has used hydrogen in its internal logistics operations since 2013. Today, it operates more than 230 hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift trucks and tugger trains, making it Europe’s largest fleet of fuel cell-powered intralogistics vehicles. Hydrogen has also been used in the paint shop since 2022, where eleven dual-fuel burners have now been installed that can run flexibly on either natural gas or hydrogen.

“The pipeline will enable us to supply our paint shop with hydrogen on an entirely new scale. It is therefore a milestone and a cornerstone in securing our future energy resilience, while offering opportunities to further decarbonise our production,” said Petra Peterhänsel, Head of BMW Group Plant Leipzig.

The pipeline connection will allow hydrogen to replace natural gas, particularly in energy-intensive processes requiring high temperatures, such as the dryers in the paint shop. Using dual-fuel natural gas and hydrogen burners also enables the plant to gain experience of the technical and economic conditions accompanying the rollout of the hydrogen core network, helping to optimise equipment operation.

Local Solutions for Effective Energy Management

The hydrogen pipeline in Leipzig is part of BMW Group’s global energy management approach. Rather than applying a uniform model, the company pursues technology-neutral, site-specific solutions. In Leipzig, many years of experience with hydrogen, concrete industrial applications and a direct connection to the emerging hydrogen infrastructure provide the basis for a robust long-term energy supply.

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally

BMW Group’s energy supply strategy focuses on solutions tailored to each location. Local infrastructure, costs and available energy sources are decisive factors. This allows the company to combine security of supply, competitiveness and decarbonisation. In future, sites are expected not only to consume energy but also to generate, store and use it flexibly, becoming what are known as prosumers.

Digital control systems complement this approach at BMW Group: virtual power plants connect generators, consumers and storage systems, using data to optimise energy flows. This enables sites to manage loads more flexibly, support grid stability and reduce their exposure to market and price fluctuations.

Transformation Requires a Reliable Framework

The industrial transition to a hydrogen-based energy supply can only succeed through cooperation between companies, energy partners and policymakers. It requires faster expansion of energy infrastructure, internationally competitive energy costs and certification that recognises energy carriers’ quality attributes. For molecule-based energy carriers, this specifically means a hydrogen core network and distribution infrastructure available at an early stage, competitive network tariffs, an affordable and readily available climate-friendly energy carrier, investment and planning certainty, and practical, harmonised European certification schemes.

Strong Partners for a Resilient Energy Supply

Connecting BMW Group Plant Leipzig to the future hydrogen core network is a joint undertaking by industry and energy partners. To this end, BMW Group has concluded a capacity reservation agreement with ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH, which is responsible for developing the hydrogen core network in the region. MITNETZ GAS GmbH will build the approximately two-kilometre connecting pipeline for BMW Group Plant Leipzig, including a gas pressure regulation and metering station. The partners are thereby helping to make hydrogen available for industrial use and strengthen the long-term resilience of the Leipzig site’s energy supply.

A resilient energy supply requires not only cooperation between companies, energy partners and policymakers, but also public involvement. BMW Group considers transparency, reliability and early engagement essential for public acceptance and planning certainty. Through projects such as the hydrogen pipeline in Leipzig, the company is making a tangible contribution to combining industrial competitiveness, decarbonisation and regional value creation.