Locals and environmental groups staged a protest in connection with the opening of the Tesla Gigafactory on the outskirts of the city of Grünheide in Berlin. They are sure that the plant will pollute drinking water because it was built in a water protection zone. In addition, many trees were cut down during construction, which threatens forest animals, Сapital and Тagesschau state.
They are also concerned that production requires a lot of water. According to the head of the company Elon Musk, the factory uses “very little water.” He noted that Tesla’s mission is “the fastest possible transition to renewable energy and climate protection.”
Tesla announced the creation of the first European “Gigafactory” in Europe in November 2019. The plant should start operating in November 2021. However, the final permit for its construction and launch has not been issued. Tesla needs to convince environmentalists that the plant does not threaten local groundwater and forest animals. Deutsche Welle states.
From 2022, the factory plans to produce 500,000 cars a year and create 12,000 jobs. The last circumstance is the main advantage of Musk for public hearings, as a result of which he plans to obtain a permanent permit for the factory. It should be noted that the unemployment rate in the Grunheide area is very high.
Musk held a party on the occasion of the opening of the first in Europe “Gigafactory.” Nine thousand people were invited to it. The company had to obtain a special permit. Musk promised to open a brewery and a rave club on the factory’s territory during the presentation.
The cost of the 300-hectare site, which Tesla bought for its fourth plant, was €41 million.
The intention to build a plant near Berlin at Tesla was announced in November 2019. The American automaker has long been looking for a place for its first European plant. Musk announced his decision to make his car Made in Germany on November 12 at the Golden Steering Wheel Award.
The company has chosen a 300-hectare site in the Grunheide area near Berlin as the site for the new facilities. Local authorities supported Musk’s intention because, according to their estimates, the new production will create 10,000 new jobs.
But activists and some locals were skeptical of the idea of opening a large-scale plant, as there is a sanitary protection zone of water intake, and there is no appropriate logistics infrastructure.
