World Environment Day: BMW commits to 100% green electricity at Chennai plant

BMW India has committed to convert itsChennai plant to 100% green electricity by end of the year. The company issued a statement saying it has launched new initiatives for water conservation as well given that the city faces water crisis issue.

Presently, the 7.7-acre sprawling BMW Chennai plant takes care of upto 40% of its electricity requirements through a 1350 kW Solar Photovoltaic system. The company claims upto 50% savings have been achieved in light usage through LED lights installation. Besides this, fresh air fans have been replaced by energy efficient high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans, saving 30% electricity in the ventilation system.

Besides committing to 100% green electricity, the company is also working on long-term solutions to minimise use of regular water resources. The Chennai plant has rainwater harvesting ponds at two locations with a total capacity of 14,25,000 litres. Tanks have been installed across the site to collect rainwater for this purpose. More than 3,40,000 litres of rainwater has been collected so far and utilised for water leak test and other requirements.

The process water used in production is fully recycled at the plant’s treatment facility and fed back into the process. Water used for cleaning is also treated and reused in gardening and landscaping. Sensor-based taps installed across the plant save upto 8% water. In combination, these three pillars have helped reduce water consumption by more than 45%. A new Rainwater Harvesting Project implemented at the beginning of 2020 stores upto 2,000 kilolitres and caters to upto 40% of plant’s requirements.

Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai said, “For BMW Group Plant Chennai, the term ‘sustainable production’ means investing in our future. Since 2007, our plant has consistently reduced its consumption of non-renewable resources through modern technology, stringent processes and efficiency. This commitment is integrated through clear actions in our business model as well as production processes and has helped us in significantly reducing our footprint. We know the challenges and are rising to meet them by continuously setting higher goals. For BMW Group Plant Chennai, this is the key to a green future."

Among other green initiatives, the company has set up two green belts that it claims would lead to annual C02 savings of 4,000 tons. To reduce carbon footprint, the company is also producing vehicles in a way that their components can largely be reused or recycled.