BMW Group has announced it will upgrade its Hams Hall engine plant, near Birmingham, with highly flexible assembly facilities for a new generation of low-emission petrol and diesel engines.
The development of new production facilities represents the strong commitment of the BMW Group in the UK and comes following the £500 million investment in its UK MINI production operations, announced in June.
“We will install a highly flexible production system that will ensure the Hams Hall site remains as a state-of-the art facility, reinforcing the long-term future of the plant and securing the jobs t Hams Hall,” said Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW AG Board Member for production. “The new manufacturing facilities will allow the assembly of diesel, as well as petrol engines, for the first time in the plant’s ten year history.”
Commenting on the announcement, Business Minister, Mark Prisk said, “The introduction of new state-of-the-art production facilities is great news for Hams Hall and its workforce. I visited Hams Hall last month and was impressed by the skill and passion of the plant’s workers as well as the efficiency of their operation. This investment in addition to the £500 million already announced by BMW in June is a resounding vote of confidence not just for Hams Hall but for the whole UK automotive sector.”
Since opening in 2001, the Hams Hall plant has regularly reported record production levels and the plant was the first BMW engine production facility to be built outside Germany and Austria.
Currently, four-cylinder petrol engines and machined engine components are produced at Hams Hall for delivery to BMW Group vehicle plants across the world, including Germany, Austria, South Africa and China, as well as to the MINI plant at Oxford.
For more information about UK vehicle and engine manufacturing, download Motor Industry Facts 2011.
