MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - BMW may start construction of its battery plant in Lower Bavaria ahead of schedule. After the Straubing-Bogen District Office granted the permit, work can begin immediately after Easter, on April 2, a company spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.

First of all, the soil can be removed and transported away. In addition, preparatory measures for the construction site and the erection of construction and office containers are permitted. Permits for the buildings are then expected in the coming months.

BMW wants to build a plant for the assembly of up to 600,000 high-voltage batteries per year in the municipalities of Irlbach and Straßkirchen. The construction is controversial, but in a local referendum last fall, a clear majority voted in favor of the plant./ruc/DP/ngu