Photo: Tesla
Much of Tesla’s success relies on opening the new gigafactories in Texas and Germany this year. While things appear to go smoothly in Austin, Giga Berlin faces ongoing setbacks that could cause further delays or even a complete derailment. In the latest twist, environmental groups sued the local authorities in a push to block Giga Berlin’s opening until the water supply issues would be addressed.
Tesla’s German adventure was marred with problems from the get-go. Starting with environmental protests and going through all sorts of delays including silly ones like “forgot to pay the bills”, Giga Berlin is already a year behind schedule.
Latest estimates seemed to indicate the plant will start delivering cars in March, but a new twist in the plot might take that possibility off the table. This time the problem has to do with the tight water supplies in the Brandenburg region, a problem that the Tesla plant would certainly make worse once the production starts.
Environmentalist groups like the Nabu (Naturschutzbund Deutschland or Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) and the Grüne Liga filed a lawsuit against Brandenburg’s environment office and demanded to reconsider the 30-year permit to pump more groundwater for Tesla's factory. They alleged the authorities failed to consider the impact of climate change when they issued the permit.
The authorities say the issue is manageable and they are looking for additional water supplies. Nevertheless, the trial is ongoing and a decision is expected to come next month. A first court hearing is scheduled for March 4. If the judges will admit the environmentalist groups’ claims, the decision would be a blow to Tesla’s expansion plans in Europe. This means more delays and possibly even the shutdown of the 5 billion euro ($5.7 billion) project.
Experts cited by Automotive News seem to agree that the plant opening would deplete the water reserves, and “there might not be enough water for everyone.” Brandenburg’s water reserves have been dropping for the past three decades. Predictions indicate more heatwaves are expected, further weakening the ability of local soil to store rainfall. Tesla Giga Berlin would roughly double the amount of water consumed in the Grünheide area, where the locals have been instructed for years not to water the lawns.
On the other hand, Brandenburg Economy Minister Joerg Steinbach thinks the current water supply is sufficient for the first stage of the factory. But a further expansion of the factory would stretch the reserves and more would be needed. That means new water infrastructure and a wastewater treatment plant, huge engineering projects that could take years to complete.
Car manufacturing is a water-consuming process, with thousands of liters of water needed to make every single vehicle. Tesla uses less water per vehicle produced than the majority of established carmakers, the company said and is taking steps to further reduce the amount needed at its German plant. According to the current contract with local authorities, Giga Berlin would get 1.4 million cubic meters of water annually, as much as a city of around 40,000 people.
Latest estimates seemed to indicate the plant will start delivering cars in March, but a new twist in the plot might take that possibility off the table. This time the problem has to do with the tight water supplies in the Brandenburg region, a problem that the Tesla plant would certainly make worse once the production starts.
Environmentalist groups like the Nabu (Naturschutzbund Deutschland or Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) and the Grüne Liga filed a lawsuit against Brandenburg’s environment office and demanded to reconsider the 30-year permit to pump more groundwater for Tesla's factory. They alleged the authorities failed to consider the impact of climate change when they issued the permit.
The authorities say the issue is manageable and they are looking for additional water supplies. Nevertheless, the trial is ongoing and a decision is expected to come next month. A first court hearing is scheduled for March 4. If the judges will admit the environmentalist groups’ claims, the decision would be a blow to Tesla’s expansion plans in Europe. This means more delays and possibly even the shutdown of the 5 billion euro ($5.7 billion) project.
Experts cited by Automotive News seem to agree that the plant opening would deplete the water reserves, and “there might not be enough water for everyone.” Brandenburg’s water reserves have been dropping for the past three decades. Predictions indicate more heatwaves are expected, further weakening the ability of local soil to store rainfall. Tesla Giga Berlin would roughly double the amount of water consumed in the Grünheide area, where the locals have been instructed for years not to water the lawns.
On the other hand, Brandenburg Economy Minister Joerg Steinbach thinks the current water supply is sufficient for the first stage of the factory. But a further expansion of the factory would stretch the reserves and more would be needed. That means new water infrastructure and a wastewater treatment plant, huge engineering projects that could take years to complete.
Car manufacturing is a water-consuming process, with thousands of liters of water needed to make every single vehicle. Tesla uses less water per vehicle produced than the majority of established carmakers, the company said and is taking steps to further reduce the amount needed at its German plant. According to the current contract with local authorities, Giga Berlin would get 1.4 million cubic meters of water annually, as much as a city of around 40,000 people.
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