Tesla boss Elon Musk doesn’t have to tear everything down again. The authorities have given him the long-awaited approval for the Tesla plant that has already been built in Brandenburg. However, under conditions.
About two years after the start of construction, the US electric car manufacturer Tesla has the green light for its factory in Grünheide near Berlin. The State Office for the Environment granted approval under the Immission Control Act for the first Tesla car plant in Europe – but subject to conditions, as the Brandenburg state government announced on Friday.
The decision is “a small ray of sunshine in difficult times,” said Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD). “We have worked hard together.” Production of electric cars for sale could start in a few weeks.
Between the announcement and settlement of the plant on November 12, 2019 and the approval notice on Friday, “there were only 843 days,” emphasized Woidke. The decision of the State Environment Agency contains numerous conditions, emphasized the Prime Minister. Production can only begin once these requirements have been met.
Half a million cars a year
Tesla built the factory at its own risk through 19 early approvals, although the final approval was missing. Company boss Elon Musk had originally hoped to start production in Grünheide in mid-2021. In a first phase, up to 500,000 cars per year with around 12,000 employees are planned.
Tesla must first meet a number of requirements before it can start. The company was confident: “We will try to work through this as quickly as possible,” said Tesla. The company also wants to build new types of batteries in Grünheide. According to Tesla, around 3,000 people are currently employed there.
The approval had been postponed in recent months, partly because the company had added the construction and operation of a battery factory to its application for approval. After the updated motion was interpreted, a discussion began of hundreds of objections from critics, which the country repeated after criticism from environmental groups over a deadline.
Dispute over water extraction
Conservationists and residents fear environmental damage. They think the water supply is at risk. Part of the site is in a water protection area. Tesla has dismissed the concerns and lowered planned water use.
Nevertheless, there is a court dispute about the water pumping from the Eggersdorf waterworks, which also supplies Tesla. The administrative court in Frankfurt (Oder) heard on Friday about a lawsuit brought by the Green League and the Brandenburg Nature Conservation Union against the approval of additional water withdrawal. A decision was expected on Friday. The Strausberg-Erkner water association has announced that it will terminate the supply contract with Tesla if the water permit is revoked.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
