There was great rejoicing among politicians in Lower Bavaria when the BMW automobile group announced at the end of February that it would be locating the new high-voltage battery plant for the conversion of its car fleet to electric drives in the Lower Bavarian towns of Irlbach and Straßkirchen. But there was also harsh criticism. A lot of fertile farmland will be lost for the project. The citizens’ initiative (BI) “Liveable Gäuboden” wants to prevent this loss. She has been collecting signatures for a citizens’ initiative for a week. “We definitely want the farmland to be preserved,” is the credo of BI spokesman Thomas Spötzl. “The soils here in Gäuboden are among the most fertile in the world.”
The hurdles for the citizens’ initiative are not too high. The central hurdle is the so-called quorum of ten percent of those entitled to vote, who must support the initiative with their signature. In Straßkirchen, which has a total of around 3,400 inhabitants, there are around 290 people entitled to vote. “We are very confident that we can do it,” says Spötzl, “we’ll make sure that we have the signatures together quickly so that we can formally submit the request for a vote.” Otherwise Spötzl is reserved. The BI concentrates on Straßkirchen, because nine tenths of the new plant are to be located there.
The new BMW battery plant in Irlbach and Straßkirchen would be the most important industrial settlement in Lower Bavaria for decades. “This is where a state-of-the-art production facility is being built, from which our automobile plants in Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg will be supplied with high-voltage batteries in the future,” says BMW Board Member for Production Milan Nedeljković. At the end of February, the automotive group acquired 105 hectares of farmland in the two communities, which had previously been very rural. According to BMW, 60 hectares of land are to be built on in the first phase.
There are initial expansion scenarios for the remaining 45 hectares of land, but no decisions have yet been made on the scope and timing of implementation. In addition, BMW has secured a purchase option for an additional 36 hectares of farmland. If and when it could be drawn is unclear. According to BMW, the site is still in the possession of the respective owners and is also managed by them. Of course, this also makes it clear that the new plant could one day extend to an area of up to 140 hectares.
BMW: Highest standards in energy efficiency
In addition, BMW has now given the first planning details for the new factory. After that, the new location will meet the highest energy efficiency standards, the electricity for production will be obtained from photovoltaic systems and other regenerative sources. The waste heat from production is to be used for air conditioning the building with the help of a central heat storage system. An environmentally friendly lighting concept will be developed for the outdoor lighting. The roofs of the factory are to be covered with photovoltaic systems. Where this does not happen, they can be greened.
Above all, BMW wants the new battery factory to move forward quickly. Construction should start as early as 2024. There is little time until then, the planning processes and approval procedures for commercial settlements usually take months, if not years. Irlbach and Straßkirchen have founded a planning association so that BMW can keep to its schedule. This way they can handle the project together from their side. Construction Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) has assured that the Free State will do its utmost to ensure good road connections to the new factory. And already this Monday there will be a first appointment for this. On it, BMW representatives tap the plans for the first time with the approval authorities.
Mayors are confident
The mayors of Irlbach and Straßkirchen, Armin Soller and Christian Hirtreiter, are meanwhile very confident that the project will succeed. “The approval of the population is immense,” says Soller. “And throughout the region.” That’s not surprising. Lower Bavaria is BMW country, with plants in Landshut, Dingolfing and Regensburg, the automobile manufacturer is deeply rooted in the region – even if Regensburg is already Upper Palatinate. But 7,500 BMW workers live within a 20-kilometer radius of Irlbach and Strasskirchen alone, plus the many suppliers with whom the group has maintained relationships, some of which have been in place for decades. “Wherever I go, I get compliments on winning the bid,” says Soller. “The new BMW plant is a huge opportunity for a good future.”