EN 
PT_BR 
O BMW Group announced that its factory in Araquari (SC) will, for the third time, have the expansion of the photovoltaic plant located above the Montagem building. In case, over 820 panels were installed.
A expansion is the biggest carried out so far and will increase the roof area covered by the modules to 20%, totaling 1,902 plates covering a area of 9,940 m².
According to the company, the installation should increase capacity by 418 kWp, totaling 923 kWp, and generating more than 1,000 MWh per year.
With this, the Araquari Plant reaches the equivalent of around 650 units produced exclusively with solar energy, in a production of 10 thousand vehicles. Before this latest expansion, the brand had around 300 units made with photovoltaic technology.
The BMW Group's global target is to reduce CO₂ emissions in production per vehicle by 80%. Other goals on the list are to reduce CO₂ emissions per car in the production chain by 20% and by 50% in the use phase, also per vehicle.
Cost reduction
At the factory in Araquari there are several cost reduction projects. Considering only the numbers from 2019 to 2021, per unit produced, the project has already seen a reduction of 22% in energy consumption, 29% in water consumption and 80% in waste produced.
The plant also has the I-REC certificate since the factory's energy is proportionally compensated by wind generation at the Morrinhos Wind Complex, in Campo Formoso (BA).
Furthermore, two projects created at the factory, Upcycle Element and Seal the Deal, are recognized by internal and external awards such as the Fritz Müller awarded by the Santa Catarina Environmental Institute, which is the main environmental recognition in the state of Santa Catarina.
There is also the Electric Fire Fighting Unit (UCI Elétrica), developed especially for the Santa Catarina plant and the first model with this configuration manufactured in Brazil.
