Through a host of initiatives, BMW Group Chennai is taking an active lead towards a green and sustainable future. While significant savings have been already been achieved with dedicated efforts, the plant is committed to convert to 100% green electricity by end of the year and has launched new initiatives for water conservation and biodiversity.
CSR of BMW Group Chennai
Over the last few years, BMW Group Plant Chennai has steadily replaced conventional energy sources with sustainable alternatives. Presently, the plant takes care of upto 40% of its electricity requirements through a 1350 kW Solar Photovoltaic system. By introducing multiple simple and smart solutions, the plant has further reduced its electricity consumption. Upto 50% savings have been achieved in light usage through LED lights installation. Besides this, fresh air fans have been replaced by energy-efficient high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans, saving 30% electricity in the ventilation system.
Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai said, “Since 2007, our plant has consistently reduced its consumption of non-renewable resources through modern technology, stringent processes and efficiency. This commitment is integrated through clear actions in our business model as well as production processes and has helped us in significantly reducing our footprint. We know the challenges and are rising to meet them by continuously setting higher goals.”
Water conservation initiatives
In Chennai, water shortage is a serious issue. BMW Group Plant Chennai has been working on long-term solutions to minimise the impact by acting responsibly. The plant’s water conservation measures are based on three pillars: use of rainwater, conservation of freshwater and water treatment. It has rainwater harvesting ponds at two locations with a total capacity of 14,25,000 litres. Tanks have been installed across the site to collect rainwater for this purpose. More than 3,40,000 litres of rainwater has been collected so far and utilized for water leak test and other requirements.
