German vehicle manufacturer BMW has begun construction of an approximately two-kilometre-long hydrogen pipeline that will connect the company’s factory in Leipzig directly to the hydrogen grid.
The connection is planned to become operational in the first half of 2028 and, according to BMW, will make Leipzig the world’s first automotive factory with a direct connection to a hydrogen grid.
The factory has already been using hydrogen and has more than 230 hydrogen-powered forklifts and tow tractors. Since 2022, hydrogen has also been used in the painting operations, where eleven ovens can switch between natural gas and hydrogen.
Once the connection is complete, energy-intensive processes such as paint drying will be able to run entirely on hydrogen instead of natural gas. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the state of Saxony.
No financial details have been provided regarding the investment.
Several listed companies are focused on the hydrogen sector.
