No other industrial project in Germany is currently being followed as closely as the growing Tesla factory in Grünheide, Brandenburg.

While fans of the American electric car manufacturer cheer every new pillar, opponents of the project are mainly concerned about Tesla's water requirements.

After the company expanded its building application to include battery cell production in June, the State Environment Agency has set a new hearing.

There are now more than 800 objections to be discussed.

This could start on September 23rd.

The authority plans to announce the details in the official gazette this week.

Julia Löhr

Business correspondent in Berlin.

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Brandenburg's Minister of Economic Affairs, Jörg Steinbach (SPD), attributes the fact that the construction of the factory is so polarizing to the company's restrictive communications policy. “I would have liked Tesla to take the concerns of the population more seriously,” he says in an interview with the FAZ. “Sometimes there is a lack of empathy. I can only advise any company with similar plans to explain them with greater patience. "

Environmental associations have tried several times since the construction work began at the beginning of 2020 to stop it in court, so far always in vain.

In April of this year, Tesla called the long duration of the approval process "irritating" in a letter that was formally addressed to the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court, but indirectly to politicians.

Tesla boss Elon Musk last made it clear in August during a visit to the construction site that he cannot understand the resistance against the factory.

There is enough water, he said in the presence of CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet.

"Does this look like a desert?"

"Water demand has not increased"

The visits of the Tesla boss always come with surprises for the state government, says Steinbach. "When Elon Musk is coming to Germany, I'll find out just as quickly as everyone else: by following the route of his private jet on Twitter." However, beyond his criticism of the sparse flow of information from Tesla, he defends the company: "I would be happy if everyone involved would take note that the battery cell factory did not increase the water requirement, ”Steinbach emphasizes. "What was initially planned for the car factory alone will now be sufficient for both parts of the plant."

Last year, the local water company had also expressed criticism of Tesla's plans. The automaker revised this shortly afterwards and corrected the water requirement significantly downwards. However, this also meant that the approval process had to be restarted. "It's like with Monopoly: always back on the go," says Steinbach. This is particularly difficult to convey to foreign investors.

He therefore proposes to amend the Immission Control Act in such a way "that an approval process can continue if an independent institution such as the TÜV approves changes".

On the other hand, he considers a restriction of the right of representative action to be problematic.

“That is regulated at EU level, we cannot simply restrict it.

But we should consider whether location should play a bigger role.

The Bavarians would probably not think it would be a good thing if a Brandenburg association could sue a building project on Lake Starnberg. "

Half a million electric cars a year

The fact that, despite the ongoing approval process in Grünheide, large parts of the car factory are already in place and the construction of the battery cell factory is also progressing, is due to the provisional individual permits granted by the State Environment Agency Tesla. In March of last year, Steinbach put the probability that the project as a whole will also be approved at 90 percent. Today he answers the same question with “95 percent”. He considers residents' fear of incidents to be exaggerated. This danger is “comparable to the probability of a jumbo crash. We are discussing a minimum risk here. "

Steinbach confirms the open day announced by Tesla for October 9, but also adds: "Production will certainly not start at this point." As long as the approval decision has not been made, the company is only allowed to carry out system tests. Only people residing in Berlin or Brandenburg should be allowed to come to the event. But even with this restriction, the demand for tickets is likely to be greater than the supply. “At the moment, an average of around 3,500 people are on the construction site on one day. The open day will be based on this scale, ”says Steinbach.

Elon Musk announced the decision for Grünheide at the end of 2019. Tesla has postponed the start of production originally planned for July this year to the end of the year. In the first stage of expansion of the plant, 12,000 employees are expected to produce half a million electric cars a year. "So far, the contracts have been signed for around 1,800 permanent jobs," reports Steinbach. He counters the criticism that has already come from the IG Metall union: “Tesla has made it clear that it would respect the establishment of a works council. Compared to some other American companies, that's something. "