en.Wedoany.com Reported - Armin Ebner, Plant Manager of BMW Group Regensburg, together with Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Dr. Thomas Burger, Mayor of Regensburg, jointly held the symbolic inauguration ceremony for the new hydrogen infrastructure.
The 6-kilometer-long stainless steel hydrogen supply pipeline has been largely laid within the production area in recent months, and the entire facility is scheduled for completion this autumn. By 2031, all in-plant logistics vehicles at the Regensburg site will gradually transition from electric to hydrogen power.
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, stated: "The upcoming commissioning of the new hydrogen supply network once again proves that hydrogen is not just a future concept but a mature solution already in practice. Developing renewable energy should not be rigidly tied to a single ideological approach; it must follow the principles of technological neutrality and economic feasibility. This is the only path to a successful energy transition. The Bavarian state government has been vigorously promoting the hydrogen industry for years, launching multiple support programs for hydrogen refueling stations and electrolyzers to solidify the state's leading position in this cutting-edge field. BMW's push to transition its plant logistics fleet to hydrogen power also confirms our direction."
Dr. Thomas Burger, Mayor of Regensburg, added: "The BMW Group Regensburg plant has insight into industry development trends and is firmly advancing the hydrogen power transition. This pioneering spirit will drive economic development in Regensburg and beyond."
Plant Manager Armin Ebner stated: "Using hydrogen can significantly enhance the flexibility and scalability of in-plant logistics. The upgrade from electric to hydrogen power is also a key component of building BMW's iFACTORY digital, sustainable future factory. Distributed hydrogen refueling stations along the logistics routes offer extremely short refueling times while diversifying the plant's integrated energy supply structure."
BMW Group Regensburg Plant's New Hydrogen Supply Network Project for In-Plant Logistics: Today, Plant Manager Armin Ebner, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Hubert Aiwanger, and Regensburg Mayor Dr. Thomas Burger attended the symbolic inauguration ceremony for the hydrogen infrastructure. The 6-kilometer-long stainless steel hydrogen supply pipeline has been largely laid within the plant area, with the entire system set for completion this autumn. By 2031, all in-plant logistics vehicles at the Regensburg site will be phased out and replaced with hydrogen-powered models.
The BMW Group Regensburg plant has planned a 6-kilometer hydrogen pipeline network, complemented by six distributed indoor hydrogen refueling stations within the production workshops. The core of the entire hydrogen supply system is an outdoor buffer hydrogen storage unit, where external hydrogen is uniformly delivered for storage and distribution.
During the testing phase, one of the six hydrogen refueling stations will first be connected to the pipeline network. The remaining refueling equipment is scheduled to be fully connected by the end of October, achieving full system operation. At that time, approximately 85 hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles will be deployed in the press shop, body shop, and final assembly shop.
The plant currently operates around 320 industrial forklifts, all of which are planned to be completely replaced from electric to hydrogen power by 2031.
Switching the plant's logistics fleet to hydrogen power will save working hours and free up plant space. Hydrogen refueling is as fast as conventional fuel refueling; the current process of changing batteries twice per shift for electric forklifts using cranes will be completely eliminated, saving approximately 15 minutes of working time per battery change.
The original battery charging area covers about 800 square meters. After renovation, this space can be repurposed for production. Additionally, hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles offer more flexible scheduling and higher operational efficiency, potentially reducing the overall fleet size.
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