Wind turbines at BMW Group Plant Leipzig light up as Advent candles

The four wind turbines on the grounds of BMW Group Plant Leipzig have been generating green energy for BMW i production since 2013. But this Advent they have a second job as well: as symbols for Advent candles lighting the way to sustainability.

Leipzig. The four wind turbines on the grounds of BMW Group Plant Leipzig have been generating green wind energy for BMW i production since 2013. In fact, the BMW Group has been manufacturing its first fully electric model with locally generated green energy since day one. At 190 metres high and with nominal power of 2.5 megawatts each, the turbines generated a combined total of 26.4 gigawatt hours of electricity purely from wind in 2019 – enough to power more than 5,000 three-person households for a year.

This Advent the four wind turbines have another very special job on the side, as Advent candles. Each Advent Sunday, one more is lit up in bright white rather than the usual blue, until the Fourth Sunday of Advent, when all of them will be aglow. Each ‘candle’ is evenly illuminated by the eight powerful LED lights that surround it and are powered by electricity from the turbines themselves.

The wind turbines provide about one fifth of all the electricity used at BMW Group Plant Leipzig. When production is not running, they power other areas of the facility and ensure the base load is covered. In addition, they feed energy into the BMW Battery Farm, which is also located on-site at Plant Leipzig. The battery farm comprises up to 700 interconnected high-voltage BMW i3 batteries and has been in operation since 2017. In combination with the turbines, it connects the plant’s own renewable energy generation with a local energy storage facility and a major industrial consumer. Being integrated into the public grid as well, the battery farm helps to reduce the load on the network and contributes additional power.

The wind turbines at BMW Group Plant Leipzig are a highly visible symbol of the company’s commitment to sustainability – a commitment the BMW Group sees very much as a part of its identity. Production at Plant Leipzig has been powered exclusively with carbon-neutral energy since 2018. All of the energy supplied by providers comes from renewable sources.