Groundwater at risk: Tesla’s Gigafactory expansion raises environmental worries
Tuesday 1, August
Tesla’s grand vision to expand its Gigafactory in Grünheide is being overshadowed by environmental concerns, according to a report by the Tagesspiegel. The regional water association has expressed concern that building on vast areas of open land might disrupt groundwater formation. They’ve also highlighted the risk of the potential impact on the public drinking water supply, as lowering groundwater levels might be necessary for construction to go ahead.
Tesla however, remains confident, claiming that rainwater on the site will actually contribute positively to new groundwater formation, with the aid of built-in filtration systems. They argue the factory’s presence will result in more water being filtered into the groundwater system, compared to the coniferous forest that used to grow in the area, which, according to a Tesla spokesperson “allowed at most a small amount of new groundwater to form”.
The expansion aims to quadruple Tesla’s production to one million cars annually, potentially providing jobs for thousands. Currently, the Gigafactory employs 11,000 and produces 250,000 vehicles each year. Tesla has submitted applications for environmental approval to the state of Brandenburg, so the Gigafactory’s true environmental impact remains to be seen.
