BMW breaks ground on geothermal heating system in China production facility
The BMW Brilliance auto manufacturing plant in Shenyang, China (source: BMW Brilliance)
Carlo Cariaga
23 Oct 2024
BMW Brilliance, a BMW Chinese joint venture, has started work on a geothermal project to supply heating to the auto manufacturing facility in Shenyang, China.
BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd (BBA), the joint venture between automobile manufacturer and BMW and Brilliance Auto, has officially broken ground on a geothermal heating project at its production facility in Shenyang, the capital of the Liaoning Province, China.
Under the project, BBA will drill 28 medium-depth geothermal wells to supply a total heating area of approximately 580,000 square meters. When the project becomes operation in the 2025 heating season, BBA’s powertrain production plant and battery center in Shenyang will be 100% heated by sources that are not based on fossil fuels.
Upon completion, the geothermal project is expected to achieve carbon emissions reduction of 18,000 tons per year. Working with BBA for this project are local partners China Huaneng Group, Wanjiang New Energy Co., Ltd., and Shenyang Sino-German Park Development and Construction Group Co., Ltd.
“We have always believed that investing in sustainable development is investing in the future. We continue to use innovative thinking and technology to optimize the carbon footprint of our Shenyang production base, replace fossil fuels with diversified clean energy, and promote energy transformation in accordance with local conditions,” said Dr. Hexuan Dai, President and CEO of BBA.
“We have always believed that investing in sustainable development is investing in the future. We continue to use innovative thinking and technology to optimize the carbon footprint of our Shenyang production base, replace fossil fuels with diversified clean energy, and promote energy transformation in accordance with local conditions. Today, our exploration of geothermal energy has entered a new chapter.
In this ‘hot land’ of Shenyang, we will continue to work hard and work with local partners to build a new quality productivity system based on low-carbon sustainability.”
BBA intends to adopt industry-leading technologies for the planned geothermal project in Shenyang, including the use of closed-loop systems that are emissions-free and “take heat but not water.” This geothermal energy project is the latest practice of BBA to actively respond to the Chinese government’s call for green development and achieve sustainable development through innovative production and operation management. It has received strong support from the local government of Shenyang and the active participation of local partners.
China is the world leader in terms of geothermal heating capacity at close to 250 GWt. Local energy enterprise Sinopec is leading the way, providing geothermal heating to more than 90 cities in China.
Source: China Daily
