04.04.2023

Tesla’s German Factory Will Exhaust the Area’s Water Supply in Gruenheide.

Tesla is facing “criminal” allegations regarding Gigafactory Berlin as environmentalists accuse the automaker of “suspected water pollution and a possible environmental crime.” For years now, Tesla has been in battle with environmentalists in Germany who have tried to stop or slow down the construction of and production at Gigafactory Berlin. Tesla’s factory would roughly double the amount of water consumed in the Gruenheide area, according to Axel Bronstert, a hydrology professor at the University of Potsdam. He said it’s “naive” to think reserves would suffice for both the factory and residents, and called the groundwater situation in Brandenburg “serious.” Experts say some of the environmentalists’ concerns are valid. Brandenburg’s water table has been dropping for the past three decades. Droughts in each of the past four years have resulted in wildfires and crop failures. Meteorologists are predicting more frequent heat waves, further weakening the ability of local soil to store rainfall. As per a contract with local authorities, the Tesla's Gruenheide site would get 1.4 million cubic meters of water annually — enough for a city of around 40,000 people. Steinbach said that while he’s taking the environmental concerns very seriously, the large majority of the local population is in favor of the factory. Brandenburg authorities are backing efforts to drill for more water in the area and supplies could also be sourced from further away if necessary, he said. Credit: DW