BMW Group sites in Parsdorf achieve full EMAS certification

BMW Group confirms that all Parsdorf facilities, including the CMCC and pilot plant for high-voltage batteries, are now registered under EMAS, meeting strict European environmental standards.

With the publication of its 2024 Environmental Impact Statement, the BMW Group has confirmed that all its operations in Parsdorf are now officially listed in the European EMAS environmental register. The inclusion covers three key facilities — the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre (CMCC), the pilot plant for high-voltage batteries (Gen6), and the test-parts logistics site. For the first time, the entire Parsdorf complex has achieved unified recognition within what is considered the world’s most stringent environmental management system.

Built upon ISO 14001, EMAS demands not only compliance but measurable progress, requiring transparent annual reports and independent validation. The 2024 statement was verified by TÜV SÜD Umweltgutachter GmbH and formally registered by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Munich and Upper Bavaria. This milestone underscores that BMW Group’s environmental processes meet both legal requirements and the company’s broader sustainability goals.

The 2024 report details specific achievements: battery cell production at the CMCC has been powered entirely by renewable energy since May 2023, while the pilot plant for high-voltage batteries produced over a thousand prototype units for internal testing and Neue Klasse vehicles. All three Parsdorf sites use heat pumps and waste heat recovery systems to minimize energy losses.

Parsdorf is not only a testing ground for Gen6 technology but also a vital link in BMW’s circular production cycle. Residual materials from cell manufacturing are collected and sent to the new Cell Recycling Competence Centre in Kirchroth, Lower Bavaria, where the company applies its innovative direct recycling process. According to BMW, recycling on the scale of several dozen tonnes annually will return valuable materials to production.

On Parsdorf’s pilot lines, work continues on refining the processes that will underpin Gen6 series production in Debrecen, Shenyang, San Luis Potosí, and Woodruff. As CMCC director Hansjörg Schilp notes, the full EMAS registration of all sites is both a mark of trust and a tangible sign that BMW Group’s operations in Parsdorf function at the highest standards — economically and environmentally.