BMW: Logistics Hall for High-Voltage Batteries in Leipzig

The BMW Group has broken ground on a new logistics center for high-voltage batteries in the northern part of Leipzig. Outside the factory premises, a hereditary building rights contract was concluded with the city of Leipzig for a construction site in the Nord Industrial Park – the same location as the BMW plant, BMW communicated on its website on August 25. The area to be used by BMW in the future is twelve hectares, with the first phase of construction covering eight hectares. Completion is planned for mid-2024. A logistics hall for the current 5th generation high-voltage batteries and an office building will be constructed there.

In the first construction phase, a warehouse, a two-story office building, and a loading tunnel with approximately 38,000 square meters of gross floor area will be built. A second construction phase has already been considered in the planning. If both construction phases are realized, the BMW Group will invest up to 100 million euros. The operation of the new buildings at the Northern Supply Center is designed for about 500 jobs in both construction phases.

The goal of the BMW Group is that by 2026, at least one out of every three new cars sold will be a fully electric model. This correspondingly increases the demand for high-voltage batteries. Even today, the Leipzig plant is a key pillar in supplying the production network with e-components and delivers every third battery module for the BMW Group's fully electric vehicles, such as the BMW iX1, BMW i5, and BMW iX. With the new hall as a logistics center for high-voltage batteries, the Leipzig plant aims to further expand this role. According to the company, the new hall structurally meets all requirements for handling high-voltage components.

The BMW logistics hall will be heated with a heat pump

During the planning of the logistics hall, high ecological standards beyond legal requirements were established, including the operation of the buildings without fossil energies. The roof of the hall will be equipped with photovoltaic systems that can generate around 3,000 kilowatts at peak performance. Additionally, the hall will be heated by a heat pump. The roof of the office building will be greened, and façade trees at suitable locations are intended to help lower temperatures within the building during heat periods.

Over 5,700 shrubs and trees will be newly planted on the exterior area. The city of Leipzig and the BMW Group are contributing to the green initiatives in the Nord industrial park to further complement the green belt around the plant. The exterior lighting of the new site will be equipped with insect-friendly light sources. The parking spaces will be equipped with e-charging stations for cars and trucks, so that electrically operated trucks can also be used in logistics traffic between the plant site and the warehouse.