SGL Group joint venture opens the new Moses Lake Plant

SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (SGL ACF) – a joint venture of SGL Group and BMW Group – officially opened its new state-of-the-art carbon fiber manufacturing plant in Moses Lake, WA. The new facility is strategic for the manufacture of ultra light-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for use in the new BMW i vehicles.

The two parent companies will invest approximately $100 million in their Moses Lake plant and create 80 new local jobs until 2013. In order to prepare the large scale production start of BMW i vehicles in 2013 it is important to start the carbon fiber manufacturing now. All electricity needed for the production of carbon fibers will come from readily available clean and renewable local hydropower.

Thanks to the emission-free drivetrain and a value added chain designed to be sustainable all along the line, life cycle emission figures for the BMW i3 are at least a third lower than for a highly efficient combustion-engine car. If the BMW i3 is run on electricity from renewable sources, the figures improve by well over 50%.

Carbon fiber technology will fundamentally change the car industry, becoming increasingly important in the quest for lighter-weight materials to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. With the new SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers plant in Moses Lake, BMW Group and SGL Group are proving that sustainable innovations will provide for a cleaner individual mobility of the future.