After all the environmental protests, finally, Tesla has been given clearance to remove a forest near Berlin for its upcoming project of Gigafactory. As per the latest reports, the company has already started removing the forest for the new venture. Tesla is in the process of plowing down around 92 hectares of forest in Gruenheide, east of Berlin. This venture is the first European Gigafactory of the company. Local environmental activists have been raising concerns that the project might harm the region’s water supply. They have also raised concerns about pressure on local transport infrastructure due to the Gigafactory. Tesla has to stop its work due to the rising hindrance by the local activists.
The court ruled in favor of the company and said that the company can continue its work, as local authorities did not evade regulations in permitting Tesla’s tree felling work to begin. Tesla has resumed its work just after the court ruling. The officials of the company said that any further delay than this might have affected the schedule of the factory since the breeding phase of local wildlife is going to start next month. The economy minister of the region has said that forest clearance needs to be completed by mid-March; else, the work might be delayed by another nine months. Nevertheless, two-third of the work was already finished before the protests started. Tesla is planning to have the factory operational by the middle of next year.
Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin will be its fourth factory worldwide along with its existing Gigafactories in the USA and China. The company’s first European factory will bring 12000 job opportunities in the region. This move of the firm has been appreciated in the vote of confidence in Germany. The electric carmaker hopes that Gigafactory in Berlin will be able to produce as many as 500000 cars in a year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for his environment-friendly credentials and solar loving approach. Well, it will be interesting to see how well he takes care of the environment while establishing his fourth factory.
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