The German manufacturer is investing more than EUR 2 billion (HUF 790 billion) in the site.Continue reading
In cooperation between BMW Group Factory Debrecen and energy company E.ON Hungária Group, the leaders of the two parties signed a contract for the establishment of a 50-hectare solar park on Wednesday at the factory’s communication center (Debrecen, eastern Hungary).
Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO of BMW Manufacturing Hungary Kft., said at a press event held on the occasion of the signing ceremony, that the plant will be the largest photovoltaic system of the BMW Group, which is also one of the largest such investments in Hungary. He announced that
320,000 square meters of solar panels will be installed, 187,000 square meters of which will be on the roof of the factory buildings and the rest on the ground.
71,000 panels will be installed on an area the size of seventy football pitches, with a capacity of 43 megawatts, enough to meet the energy needs of 20,000 households a year, said the CEO, explaining the proportions, noting that the project would be completed by November 2025, when car production starts.
The CEO also noted that sustainability in all areas was a central concern for the factory. He said that the energy for production will be entirely renewable; biodiversity is central to their thinking, green walls will be built in production areas, they will operate without paper, and they will not use any plastic in their restaurants.
Zsolt Jamniczky, Deputy CEO of the E.ON Hungária Group, described the development as a milestone in the life of the group, calling it the largest investment in Europe this year.
No other company has ever entered into such a long-term cooperation as with the BMW car manufacturer in Debrecen,
he highlighted. He stressed that the solar park to be built on the site of the plant will not only be constructed but also operated in the coming years by E.ON.
László Papp, mayor of Debrecen, stressed that BMW has a decisive role to play in the future of the city. He welcomed the investment, which meets the two main requirements of Debrecen’s economic development: environmental awareness and sustainability. The Mayor said that the possibility of connecting to geothermal energy in the industrial zone would also be explored, as the city would contribute to the renewable energy mix.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt