The BMW Group will use solid aluminum wheels produced with 100% inexperienced energy for its BMW and MINI manufacturers from 2024 onwards. For the BMW Group, that is one other step in the direction of its purpose of making probably the most sustainable provide chain within the automotive business.
The transition applies, particularly, to the energy-intensive electrolysis utilized in producing aluminum and to the wheel-casting course of. To this finish, corresponding agreements have been reached with all BMW Group wheel suppliers.
Up till now, wheels have accounted for about 5% of provide chain CO2 emissions. Transitioning to extra sustainable manufacturing that depends on inexperienced energy will cut back these emissions by greater than half. The BMW Group procures about 10 million light-alloy wheels per yr; 95% of those are produced from solid aluminum.
Via unbiased audits, the BMW Group can guarantee aware and sustainable use of aluminum by its contracted producers, saving as much as 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per yr.
Inexperienced energy is without doubt one of the greatest levers for lowering CO2 emissions in our provide chain. We now have already signed greater than 400 contracts with our suppliers, together with suppliers of wheels and aluminum, requiring them to make use of inexperienced energy.
—Joachim Publish, member of the Board of Administration of BMW AG accountable for Buying and Provider Community
Aluminum has good recycling properties, making it simpler to soften down outdated wheels as a part of the round economic system. This eliminates the necessity for energy-intensive electrolysis to supply the first uncooked materials. On the similar time, the secondary uncooked materials should additionally meet the BMW Group’s premium necessities for high quality, design, security and mechanical properties.
MINI will turn out to be a pioneer on this subject in 2023, when it is going to start utilizing light-alloy solid wheels produced from 70% secondary aluminum within the new era of the MINI Countryman. The mixture of 100% inexperienced energy for manufacturing and 70% secondary uncooked materials content material can cut back CO2 emissions by as much as 80%, in comparison with typical manufacturing processes.
The BMW Group has been actively concerned for a few years in worldwide initiatives targeted on standardizing uncooked materials extraction. These embrace the aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI), a world non-profit organisation supported by environmental and industrial associations, NGOs, aluminum producers and processing firms. The BMW Group welcomes the truth that a lot of its aluminum wheel suppliers have already joined ASI and are making an necessary contribution to creating an environmentally and socially accountable aluminum worth chain on this means.
ASI already licensed the sunshine metallic foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut in December 2019 for its sustainable use of aluminum, confirming that it handles aluminum consciously and responsibly.
Transitioning to 100% inexperienced energy for manufacturing of solid aluminum wheels is one other step in the direction of lowering CO2 emissions within the BMW Group provider community. The intention is to scale back emissions all through the availability chain by 20% from 2019 ranges by 2030. Systematically rising the proportion of secondary aluminum by way of this course of makes an additional contribution to sustainability, in keeping with the ideas of the round economic system to which the BMW Group aspires.
Since 2021, the BMW Group has sourced aluminum from the United Arab Emirates manufactured completely utilizing electrical energy obtained from solar energy. The aluminum produced in Dubai is processed within the gentle metallic foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut, the place it’s used to fabricate physique and drive prepare parts. The 43,000 tonnes of photo voltaic aluminum sourced on this means provide nearly half the annual necessities of the Landshut gentle metallic foundry.
