AkzoNobel says it has installed one of the automotive industry’s first hydrogen-powered spray booths at a new training center in Belgium while in Germany, BMW Group plans to begin using hydrogen-powered intralogistics equipment.

The combi-spray booth is fully equipped for traditional repairs and includes an all-in-one repair workstation, according to an AkzoNobel press release. It also has a special air filtration system that uses active carbon to filter any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated during the painting process. An extra HEPA air filtration system produces clean air back into the atmosphere.

The spray booth was constructed to go beyond local and legislative sustainability requirements, fitting with AkzoNobel’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the full value chain by 2030, the release states.

“The industry of the future requires painters of the future who are fully conversant with the latest technologies and techniques,” said Patrick Bourguignon, AkzoNobel automotive and specialty coatings director, in the release. “By increasing the size of our Belgian facility by almost a third, we can accommodate more technology, such as the new spray booth, and train more people.

“We’ll be able to show body shop personnel how the latest technologies can reduce carbon emissions, lower drying times, and consume less energy, helping to drive the industry in a more sustainable direction. By further upskilling painters, body shop managers, and OEM engineers on a new generation of coatings and technologies, we can help them improve operational efficiency and reduce their own carbon emissions. The investments we’re making in our ATCs will therefore address a growing global skills shortage, while also helping us set a new benchmark for sustainable practices in our industry.”

Another OEM plans to focus on hydrogen power to meet its production sustainability goals, first in Germany.

BMW Group Plant Regensburg will begin using hydrogen-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks for its production logistics in 2026 for all transport and logistics tasks. This includes operations in the press shop, body shop, and assembly, ensuring that the necessary components and individual parts are delivered to the correct locations for installation.

BMW aims to capitalize on the benefits of hydrogen propulsion, a press release from the OEM states. The plant’s logistics fleet has nearly 230 tugger train haulers and forklift trucks. The transition will be completed in stages by 2030, according to the release.

“The gradual transition from electric to hydrogen propulsion brings us another step closer to the BMW iFACTORY, our digital and sustainable factory of the future,” said Armin Ebner, BMW Group Plant Regensburg head, in the release.

Project Manager Katharina Radtke added that switching production logistics from electricity to hydrogen will diversify the plant’s energy mix while optimizing logistics processes and saving valuable space.

“The advantage of hydrogen is that refueling is very fast — just like with conventional fuels,” she said. “The filling stations required for this will be installed directly within the different production areas and do not take up much space.”

The logistics fleet at the plant is currently equipped with electric drivetrains. The batteries used in the industrial trucks need to be changed twice per shift. Battery replacement is performed manually using a crane, takes about 15 minutes, and requires space.

To ensure a wide-scale hydrogen supply in the future, BMW Group Plant Regensburg will install a two-kilometer-long pipeline network with six decentralized filling stations between now and early 2026. The stations will supply the logistics fleet in the various production areas, delivered in special trailers that can also be used for interim storage.

“Once the conversion is completed, our annual hydrogen consumption will be around 150 tonnes,” Radtke said.

Images

Featured stock image credit: audioundwerbung/iStock

AkzoNobel’s hydrogen-powered spray booth. (Provided by AkzoNobel)

Hydrogen-powered tugger trains and forklift trucks used in intralogistics at BMW Group Plant Regensburg. (Provided by BMW Group)