The State Environmental Agency issues approval for the Gigafactory in Grünheide (Mark)

On March 04, 2022, the US automotive company Tesla received the final notice of approval from the State Environmental Agency (LfU) for the construction of its two factories for the production of e-cars and battery cells. The notice comprises 536 pages plus annexes. The future production site is in Grünheide (Mark) in the Oder-Spree district. In the Potsdam State Chancellery, Minister President Dietmar Woidke thanked everyone involved “for their outstanding joint work and great achievement”.

There have only been 843 days between the announcement of the settlement by Tesla boss Elon Musk on November 12, 2019 and today’s approval notice – and two factories that have now been largely completed. Production can only start after acceptance of the conditions mentioned in today’s notice of approval. The procedure involved extensive participation by authorities, associations and the public. This was partly repeated, as the battery factory was not included in the procedure until later. Therefore, the duration of the procedure had to be extended.

Minister President Dietmar Woidke: “The settlement of Tesla is the first major project in Germany that combines climate neutrality with the creation of additional industrial jobs. The Tesla settlement shows once again how attractive Brandenburg is as a business location. This settlement is attracting worldwide attention – Brandenburg is the up-and-coming State. The Brandenburg economy is complemented by climate-neutral value chains in the field of mobility. This also includes a number of other investments, such as for BASF in Schwarzheide, the production of the electric Mercedes Sprinter in Ludwigsfelde or the planned Rock Tech Lithium plant in Guben. The basis of these investments was and is Brandenburg’s leading position in the expansion of renewable energies. My many thanks go to all those involved. It was a mammoth task, completed to a high standard and also rapidly.”

Minister Axel Vogel: “The Tesla approval process is an unusual one in a number of ways. In a comparatively short time, the State Environmental Agency inspected and approved not just a factory, but an entire industrial area with several large-scale plants and repeated public participation. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff of the State Agency and the other authorities involved: As a high-performance State administration, they have at all times focused on the technical requirements, the high level of protection of the environment, the protection of the general public and the neighborhood against hazards and unreasonable nuisances, as well as the legal certainty of the procedure, even under the pressure of considerable public interest.

In times of climate crisis, the availability of water will play an increasingly important role for future developments and settlements. And digitization can above all help to simplify and speed up procedures without restricting environmental standards and participation rights. In Brandenburg, we are pioneers nationwide in the field of electronic application procedures and will strengthen our initiatives in this regard with the new Federal Government.”

Minister of Economics Jörg Steinbach: “The Tesla settlement is a showcase project. I would like to thank those involved on all sides for their excellent work. The fact that Tesla now holds the permit for the Gigafactory in its hands was only possible because the work processes of the Brandenburg authorities are very well interlinked. They have shown that they can deal with large investments. Those interested in relocating can rely on the fast and equally good and legally secure quality of the work. This shows the way for further projects. In addition, Tesla is an investor who was willing to take extensive risks and who in turn also contributed to the acceleration.

The Tesla factory in Grünheide means that Brandenburg is perceived much more strongly globally as a business location. A whole new value chain for electromobility is developing in the State – and this is making Brandenburg a pioneering State. I am firmly convinced that the Tesla project will be formative for our State and will have a pull effect for years to come.”

District Administrator Rolf Lindemann: “The Oder-Spree District described the Tesla Gigafactory as a real stroke of luck for the development of our region. We have therefore mobilized all our strengths to help turn this unique opportunity into a visible success. It was not always easy, and we are anything but finished when it comes to the final shaping of the project as a whole. But we all have reason to be proud of what we have achieved so far, despite all the prophecies of doom.

That is why we will face the further challenges that lie ahead with confidence and with undiminished enthusiasm. I am referring to the official support of the further expansion stages, the completion of the battery factory and, of particular importance for local politics, the integration of the Gigafactory into the transport infrastructure with as little tension as possible. However, in order to be able to fulfil the sustainability aspect and smooth mobility in connection with production, it is of course necessary to get housing construction underway quickly close to the location and also to create the associated social infrastructure. In this regard, we trust in the same support from the State government that we have been able to build on so far.”

Mayor Arne Christiani: “From the point of view of the municipality of Grünheide (Mark), the handing over of official approval and the imminent start of production in the Tesla factory are the result of excellent cooperation between those responsible, authorities and institutions at State and District level, the municipality and the investor. The fact that it took longer than originally planned is due to the complexity of the project. Nevertheless, it has been shown that even difficult procedures, despite all the bureaucracy, can be moved forward quickly and constructively if everyone pursues a common goal. Special thanks are due to everyone involved. For the municipality of Grünheide (Mark), the handing over of the permit is not the end, rather it is an important milestone in a process of complex development of an industrial site and the needs-based adjustment of the infrastructure. We are currently in the planning phase for extensive investments in transport infrastructure, the creation of housing, education and care facilities, and all of this with the proviso that the character of the local districts should be largely preserved. So, there is still a lot of work ahead of us.”

Information about the location
Construction of Tesla’s only European automotive factory to date began in spring 2020 on a 300-hectare site in Grünheide (Mark), south-east of Berlin, on the basis of a total of 19 approvals for early action by the State Environmental Agency at the risk of the investor. A factory for the production of battery cells will also be built. According to Tesla, Expansion stage 1 foresees a production capacity of up to 500,000 vehicles (Type Model Y). The location is convenient for transport (road, rail and air traffic) and is at the intersection of the trans-European traffic axes between Western and Eastern Europe. The Brandenburg State Government had advertised the location intensively in cooperation with the Brandenburg Economic Development Agency (WFBB). To prepare and accompany the settlement, a task force was set up by the Minister President on November 22, 2019, which has met 26 times so far. For the time being, it will continue its work even after the approval has been granted.


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