Compulsory break at the Gigafactory construction site: US electric car manufacturer Tesla is temporarily unable to continue building its factory in Grünheide near Berlin. The Strausberg-Erkner water association turned off the water because Tesla didn’t pay the moneysaid association spokeswoman Sandra Ponesky. The company had been warned several times with the threat of blocking. The period of 14 days has expired. “Tesla is not treated differently from others,” said the spokeswoman. When the money arrives, the water that is currently coming to the construction site via temporary standpipes will be turned on again.
The company responsible for the construction project, “Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg SE”, recently signed the contract for the water development. However, this is about the water supply and wastewater disposal for the first expansion stage. Tesla is currently getting the water from a temporary connection via standpipes – but the water will not flow from this until all bills have been paid.
The water stop comes at an inopportune time for Tesla. The planned factory of the US electric car manufacturer in Grünheide near Berlin is expected to consume around 1.4 million cubic meters of water a year – the preparations for the pipes are already in full swing. “We have to connect the lines to our existing network,” said Ponesky of the German press agency on Friday. The network is shifting to the south because of the major buyer Tesla. The permits of various authorities and land issues are still pending.
1.4 million cubic meters of water per year – dirty water is the biggest problem
According to the water association, the biggest challenge when building the water pipes is the wastewater that is to be directed to Erkner. The drinking water should come from Freienbrink.
When the construction of the permanent water pipes can begin is still open. “The pure construction time is two to three months,” said the spokeswoman. Tesla recently signed the water development contract, which deals with the water supply and sanitation for the first stage of the factory’s expansion.
After criticism, the carmaker had lowered its forecast water consumption from 3.3 million to around 1.4 million cubic meters per year. According to the plans, consumption should increase in the event of an expansion: In the draft for the changed development plan for the community of Grünheide, it says: “In future, an additional 2.15 million cubic meters per year will have to be made available. Additional capacities must be developed.” In the long term, it is even possible to supply another 15.3 million cubic meters per year.
In Grünheide, Tesla wants to start producing electric cars this summer. In the first stage, 500,000 electric cars per year with around 12,000 employees are planned. Environmentalists and residents fear negative consequences for nature and groundwater from the construction.