Siemens Mobility has announced plans to establish a new battery system production facility in Luhe-Wildenau, Bavaria. The company aims to expand its capacity to manufacture complete battery systems for use in regional trains and freight locomotives, focusing on decarbonizing rail transport.
The new factory will produce battery systems with storage capacities ranging from 500 kilowatt-hours for regional trains up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours for locomotives. These batteries require higher robustness and durability than those used in the automotive sector. Siemens Mobility will also integrate an innovative Battery Management System (BMS), developed together with Stercom, a Munich-based company. The BMS is designed to monitor and control the batteries, ensuring safety, efficiency, and longer service life.
Battery cells will be sourced from suppliers such as Toshiba, while Siemens Mobility handles the system integration process.
Pre-assembly of battery systems already takes place at the Luhe-Wildenau site. With this expansion, Siemens Mobility plans to increase production up to 120 megawatt-hours of battery capacity per year through a three-shift operation model.
Siemens Mobility is investing approximately €22 million into developing a modular battery family and advancing the BMS technology. The investment also covers upgrades in production automation and welding processes. The Free State of Bavaria is contributing €2.7 million through state funding programs.
The development of the site was carried out in cooperation with Dirnberger Real Estate GmbH and DIMONDA Projektbau GmbH, which serve as investors and landlords responsible for managing and realizing the project.
Karl Blaim, Managing Director of Siemens Mobility, said: "With our own battery factory at our Luhe-Wildenau site in Bavaria, we are strengthening our leading position in alternative drives for rail transport. At the same time, we are securing valuable know-how along our value chain." He added: "This makes us more independent from international supply chains."
Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of State for Economic Affairs, stated: "The establishment of Siemens Mobility's new battery plant in Luhe-Wildenau underlines Bavaria's attractiveness as a business location for future technologies such as climate-friendly mobility."
Sebastian Hartl, Mayor of Luhe-Wildenau commented: "We are proud that Siemens Mobility has chosen our community as the location for this forward-looking project."
With this move, Siemens Mobility seeks not only to enhance its presence in sustainable transportation but also reinforce Germany’s competitiveness and innovation capabilities within industrial sectors.