The 1066th and thus the last pillar of the BMW Group’s new assembly plant for high-voltage batteries is in place. Just 16 weeks, around 100 working days after the official start of construction at the end of June, a mobile construction crane brought the final concrete pillar of the central production building vertically. Overall, the assembly plant is clearly taking shape: prefabricated elements for fire-, interior- and outer-walls as well as stairwells have already been installed, concrete ceilings, roof structures including roof sheets and seals have already been built in. The concreting of the hall floor has begun in the already covered areas. Preparatory work has been carried out for the installation of the first façade elements. Despite difficult weather conditions in recent weeks, construction progress has thus been achieved according to plan.
Alexander Kiy, overall Project Manager Plant Construction in Irlbach-Strasskirchen: “We received construction permission for our new assembly plant just six months ago. In cooperation with the authorities, we were able to successfully complete one of Germany’s fastest building permit processes in April 2024. In less than half a year, all pillars are now in place. The structure of the central production building is clearly visible.”
In the future, the sixth-generation high-voltage batteries for the Neue Klasse will be manufactured in the approximately 150,000 square meter building. The assembly site in Lower Bavaria is making a significant contribution to the expansion of e-mobility and will supply the Munich, Regensburg and Dingolfing vehicle plants with the latest, sixth generation of high-voltage batteries. The BMW Group is thus securing employment at its Bavarian plants and further expanding the pioneering role of e-mobility in Germany. When completed, around 1,600 people will initially be employed at this production site.
The Irlbach-Strasskirchen site is one of a total of five assembly plants worldwide for the new generation of high-voltage batteries.
Digital construction planning and cross-functional collaboration
Silvia Meyer, Head of High-Voltage Battery Real Estate Management in Lower Bavaria: “Cooperation across locations helps us a lot to implement the five similar construction projects worldwide at high speed. We benefit from the experience of projects with different degrees of progress. Beside us, our colleagues, who plan the assembly process and logistics, are already using digital production planning. It helps all of us. We identify interfaces at an early stage and discuss solutions in virtual space and can counteract potential collisions at an early stage.” In concrete terms, all processes, including transitions between the assembly stages, are simulated. For example, it is necessary to coordinate the space required for interim storage, which is necessary for the timely provision of the required parts at the respective location. The way in which these parts are delivered must be considered, as well as technical connections and free space for plant maintenance work.
Site operation functions located in side-buildings
As planned, construction of the side-buildings began in summer 2024. Construction work has begun for the company catering, the non-series material warehouse and the disposal center. The so-called terraced house houses the energy center, service center and the factory fire department.
The structure, including roof work, of the central production building is to be completed by the end of 2024. In 2025, the interior construction will be continued and the production systems for assembling the high-voltage batteries are being installed. After trial operation, series assembly will start in 2026.
SOURCE: BMW Group
