Expansion plans
March 15, 2024
Reading time: approx. 4 minutes
The municipality of Grünheide is proposing a revised plan for Tesla to expand into a reduced area. Tesla should have to make do with less space in order to take the wishes of the citizens into account.
Photo: PantherMedia / whatslove
After the citizens of Grünheide voted against Tesla’s expansion plans in a referendum, the community is working with Tesla on proposals for a revised plan. The automobile manufacturer should have to make do with a reduced area.
Almost 50 hectares of forest should be preserved
According to Mayor Arne Christiani’s statement, the area will be revised for the expansion of Tesla’s site. Instead of the 100 hectares originally planned for clearing, almost 50 hectares of forest are now to be preserved. Christiani emphasized that this corresponds to the wishes of the citizens. Three weeks ago, residents voted in a referendum against the clearing of 100 hectares of forest and thus against the expansion of the Tesla area.
Also read: Will Tesla’s electric truck soon be built in Germany?
“For this purpose, around 47 hectares, which were intended as industrial area in the original planning, are now set aside as forest area. In addition to additional forest areas that are secured through planting, a total of around 70.3 hectares of forest will now be preserved. “The adapted planning is intended to take your wishes into account and to ensure the greatest possible forest preservation in terms of planning law,” says the mayor’s statement. It should be noted that the revised draft of the development plan will again be made available to the public and the authorities. This process will take place from March 21, 2024 to April 4, 2024.
Tesla has to prioritize
The electric car manufacturer made this adjustment in the development plan possible by deferring its space requirements, as it announced on Thursday evening. The reduction was made possible because Tesla is focusing on storage and logistics areas as well as production-related ancillary facilities that are necessary for climate-neutral logistics at the plant. It was also mentioned that service facilities and facilities for employees can no longer be implemented due to this prioritization. Alternatives must now be sought. The electric car manufacturer originally planned to build a freight yard, warehouses and a daycare center next to the factory premises.
Also read: Citizens reject Tesla expansion
According to Tesla, the company will not need any additional water for its expansion. It was announced that the company is prepared to forego the water volumes of the first expansion stage. In this regard, negotiations are ongoing with the responsible Strausberg-Erkner water association (WSE). The WSE supplies 170,000 people in the association area and also supplies Tesla with up to 1.8 million m annually through an existing contract3. (dpa/ili)