Tesla Giga Berlin once again receives support from the Prime Minister of Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke, amid ongoing criticism of the manufacturer over water consumption. He recalled that the factory uses very little water, so Tesla does not deserve the criticism that fell on it.
Protesters continue to criticize Tesla without understanding or deliberately ignoring the facts about water use for production. In this regard, the Prime Minister once again emphasizes that the factory is not the one to be criticized for high water consumption.
“We are well advised to use water sparingly. But Tesla is the wrong one to criticize in that,” Woidke told the German Press Agency. “The company doesn’t want to use any additional water in production and wants to fully recycle its industrial wastewater in the future.”
Giga Berlin already employs approximately 12,000 employees, bringing great benefits to the region and the country. Tesla wants to increase production and expand its territory by adding a freight station. “We still need a strong economy if we want to ensure our prosperity,” Woidke said.
“Tesla represents a huge benefit for the capital region and shows that we can start investing very quickly in the current conditions in Germany,” he said. “Mr. Musk has made significant contributions to this investment, and for that we are grateful.” The Prime Minister highly values the company’s culture and its contribution to the region and uses Tesla as an example for others.
Environmental activists criticize Giga Berlin’s planned water consumption. Since late February, they have been protesting in the pine plantation near the factory against the expansion. However, Tesla did not request more water.
During the construction of Phase 1, Tesla received permission from the local water association to use up to 1.4 million cubic meters of water annually. Last year, only a third of this volume was used—about 500 thousand cubic meters of fresh water. The company also recycles processed water extremely efficiently and reuses it. Giga Berlin uses up to 100 percent of processed water. According to officially published data, car production at Giga Berlin requires 2.28 cubic meters of water per car. This is a third less than the industry average of 3.68 cubic meters of water.
