The BMW Group (Munich, Germany) is using innovative technologies in its efforts to improve sustainability and taking advantage of new options to conserve resources and reduce emissions from painting bodywork. They are the first global automotive manufacturer to use matt paints made from biomass instead of crude oil at its European plants.
In addition, BMW Group Plants Leipzig and Rosslyn, both based in South Africa, are also using sustainably-produced corrosion protection. Renewable raw materials such as bio-waste or waste from sewage treatment plants serve as the starting material for the paints. The CO2 savings determined in a Technischer Überwachungsverein* (TÜV) certified process amount to over 15,000 metric tons (~16,535 tons) of CO2 emissions between now and 2030.
“By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovation in our supplier network,” says Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. “Innovative paints based on renewable raw materials are an important step in this direction.”
BASF’s innovative production process makes it possible to replace petroleum-based precursors, such as naphtha, with renewable raw materials from organic waste, starting in the early stages of plant production. Not only does this reduce consumption of fossil fuels, but it also avoids the CO2 emissions associated with the production, transport, and processing of crude oil.”
The corrosion protection and matt paints used at BMW Group Plants Leipzig and Rosslyn are chemically identical to the paints previously used, with all the same properties as conventionally manufactured body coatings. Since bio-based and conventional coatings are produced on the same line, BASF adopts an externally certified mass balance approach.
The amount of paint purchased by the BMW Group is calculated to be exactly equivalent to the amount of bio-naphtha and bio-methane that would be required for 100 percent petroleum-free production. The sustainable manufacturing process reduces the CO2 emissions from paint production by more than 40 percent. The two BMW Group plants in South Africa produce an average of around 250,000 vehicles per year.
*Technical Inspection Association
Source: The BMW Group, www.press.bmwgroup.com.