Mercedes Breaks Ground on Polish Engine Plant

Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Cars unit has begun construction of an engine plant in Jawor, Poland—the carmaker’s first manufacturing facility in the country.

Mercedes is investing €500 million ($558 million) in the complex, which is due to start producing 4-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines for passenger cars in 2019. About 500 people will be employed at the factory.

The plant will use unspecified Industry 4.0 digital technologies and processes to improve flexibility and efficiencies, according to the carmaker. Mercedes says this will help enable the facility to produce multiple engine variants on the same line. The facility also will employ wind and solar power as well as biogas to optimize energy usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The new factory, which was announced last year, will be Daimler’s second engine plant outside Germany, joining the company’s BBAC venture in China. The Jawor plant will be managed by Daimler’s powertrain complex in Unterturkheim, Germany, which also will train workers for the Polish facility.