A fire broke out on the night of September 26 at the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin. The production is not affected by this fire, but the local environmental associations again want the suspension of the operation of the factory.
A fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. on September 26 at the Tesla Gigafactory site in Berlin. The fire required the intervention of about fifty firefighters for several hours. The information relayed by the local media MOZ.de is however reassuring, since the main production building is not affected by the incident.
Nevertheless, it was enough for the local associations to come back to the niche. Since their failure to prevent the opening of the factory, several associations have been monitoring the activities of the factory very closely. The slightest incident is an opportunity to request its immediate closure.
The fire broke out in an area used to store materials for recycling. It is also the site of a company specializing in the field, Remondis, which is installed within the site of the Gigafactory Tesla in Berlin to treat waste.
The fire would have consumed only cardboard, wood and paper according to the first indications. The local associations are once again worried about possible water contamination by the infiltration of toxic substances into the ground.
The Gigafactory Tesla site in Grünheide is installed above a drinking water catchment area for the area. Groundwater pollution could impact more than 170,000 people in the vicinity of the plant site. This makes the associations particularly vigilant to any incidents that the factory might want to try to minimize.
Each incident leads to requests to stop production
In May 2022, a leak from one of the vehicle paint baths prompted an outcry from local environmental associations. They had asked to stop production immediately, until the site was brought into compliance. The associations then criticized Tesla for not having waterproofed this part of the factory and for suspecting that this paint leak could have contaminated the groundwater.
The investigations had then shown that the soil of the factory was in conformity and that there was no risk of contamination of the water. Tesla production was therefore able to continue.
The citizens’ initiative of Grünheide (BI) tells the media Moz.de: ” Our worst fears have come true. We request a halt in production until the causes and circumstances are clarified and all safety measures in the water protection area are implemented. »
Even though the fire in no way concerns the productive tool of Tesla cars, it is directly targeted by the actions of local associations. Once again, it is the specter of water contamination by infiltration in permeable areas, close to the site of the fire, which is pushing this new request to stop production.
Despite the initiatives of local associations, it is unlikely that production will be shut down following this fire in the storage area for recycled elements. This should not even slow down the ramp-up of production of the Tesla Model Y, Performance and Long Autonomy, currently assembled on the site.
The imminent arrival of an extension of the Gigafactory, to accommodate the manufacture of batteries, is not really good news for local activists.