BMW announced today a new move towards becoming a greener company. As they mentioned time and time again, when talking about cutting pollution or CO2 emissions, the tailpipe figure is just one part of the equation. Companies need to take a look at their production process too as well as the materials used and how they are made. To this end, BMW announced that it will be buying aluminum made using solar energy starting this year.
As we’re striving to make cars as light as possible, the use of aluminum has skyrocketed in every single industry adjacent to the automotive one. However, the production process of all this raw material and finished products has been overlooked by many. Not BMW, apparently, the Germans vowing to cut their CO2 emissions by any means necessary. Therefore, the Bavarians signed a contract with the Emirates Global Aluminum company for 43,000 tons of aluminum made using solar power to be delivered in 2021.
According to BMW, this move will allow them to reduce their CO2 emissions in the supplier network by 20% by 2030. Since producing aluminum is highly energy-intensive, the use of green power – such as solar electricity – offers considerable potential for reducing CO2 emissions. On the long run, using aluminum produced this way will allow BMW to cut approximately 2.5 million tons of CO2 emissions over the next ten years.
“We aspire to lead the way in sustainability and implement our sustainability goals in a systematic manner. We will be able to meet over 50% of our CO2 targets for the supplier network, just by using green power. The use of solar electricity for producing aluminum is a major step in this direction,” said Dr. Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network.
The aluminum produced using solar power is processed in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut to manufacture body and drive train components, including those needed for electric drive trains, for instance. Sourcing 43,000 tonnes of solar aluminum valued in the three-digit million euros will supply nearly half the annual requirements of the light metal foundry at Plant Landshut.
