Tesla: Gigafactory before final approval – opening ceremony with Elon Musk

After the short meeting of Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke’s “Task Force Tesla” last Tuesday, the signs for Tesla’s Gigafactory are good: the factory is to receive its final approval at the end of this week, as reported by the “Tagesspiegel”. This would be the last crucial hurdle and Tesla could start delivering the first Model Y vehicles in March, which were produced in the new factory in Grünheide.

A grand opening ceremony is planned, with Elon Musk personally attending. A specific date has not yet been set, but it will probably be March 22nd or 23rd. The police are preparing for an event with around 500 invited guests, including executives from the federal government. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and/or Economics Minister Robert Habeck will be present, possibly also Finance Minister Christian Lindner. After all, it is not only one of the most modern electric car factories in the world, but also the largest industrial and energy transition project in Germany.

Tesla Gigafactory: Various factors postponed approval

After Tesla CEO Elon Musk first announced plans for the Gigafactory in Grünheide in November 2019, the US company built its first factory in Europe just outside of Berlin within two years – partly in a water protection area. Tesla cleared 90 hectares of forest for the construction and drew severe criticism from environmentalists. The location harbors risks of pollution, according to the allegations. In addition, the plant’s annual water consumption of up to 1.4 million cubic meters could limit the region’s drinking water supply. A lawsuit by environmental organizations is pending before the administrative court in Frankfurt (Oder), which could also affect Tesla.

Originally, Elon Musk had aimed for the first vehicles to roll off the assembly line as early as June 2021. However, the Tesla CEO’s plans didn’t work out; various problems arose. In addition to the complicated approval process with high environmental and participation standards and lawsuits from environmental organizations, it was Tesla’s plans themselves that led to delays in the start of operations. Because at first only one car factory was registered, and only later was the battery factory added.

Water dispute process continues

The dispute with environmentalists about possible accidents and the water consumption of the car and battery factory continues. At the beginning of March, the Frankfurt (Oder) Administrative Court dealt with the question of whether the approvals granted by the State Environment Agency in 2020 for higher delivery volumes of the Eggersdorf waterworks are illegal. Because that is where the water for the new Tesla factory is supposed to come from. Should this waterworks fail, it could result in the termination of the Tesla contract. The “Task Force Tesla” under Prime Minister Dietmar, who is now called “Mr. Tesla” because of his close contact with Musk, never saw this process as a major problem. At their conference last Tuesday, which was already the 26th since it began at the end of 2019, there was a relaxed atmosphere. Bad surprises are no longer to be expected. After 20 minutes the conference was over.

And while Tesla is awaiting approval for its Gigafactory, the electric car maker has already produced 1,000 cars, according to a US Tesla connoisseur. They were built for testing purposes but may not be sold. More than 2500 employees have already been hired. If Tesla receives the final approval on Thursday or Friday, there will be a transition period of at least two weeks before the start of operations. This is the legal situation in Brandenburg. During this time, the US automaker must also prove that the requirements of the decision have been met in a verifiable manner.

Swell: with material from the dpa