Tesla signs a water contract and ensures environmental commitment in Brandenburg

Tesla signs a water contract and ensures environmental commitment in Brandenburg

In Brandenburg, the Tesla Gigafactory has taken a significant step. The American automaker has signed a new contract with the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE), resolving a two-year dispute. Long-term water quantities and wastewater disposal are now regulated. Plant manager André Thierig emphasized that this contract ensures the complete return of production wastewater, which is unique in Brandenburg. Berlin Live reports that Tesla thus receives legal and planning security. The WSE had previously threatened to stop disposal because the old limit values ​​had been exceeded. The new treaty raises the limits for total biological oxygen and nitrogen.

An exciting point is that Tesla can return almost 400,000 cubic meters of drinking water through this contract. In 2024, the plant's water consumption was only 450,000 cubic meters - well below the approved 1.8 million. In fact, Tesla only uses 2.25 cubic meters of water per car produced. With an annual production of 300,000 cars, this is theoretically a large amount, but it still turns out that RBB 24 states that water consumption is far below original plans. 90% of the wastewater comes from the paint shop, and the purified water is fed directly back into production.

Recycling as the key to sustainability

Tesla's ability to recycle almost all of its waste water from car production is remarkable. The modern system technology, in which the group has invested 50 million euros, makes a significant contribution to environmental friendliness. This means that Tesla has one of the largest industrial wastewater treatment plants in Germany. ZDF reports, how important recycling is in industries, especially at a time when water shortages due to climate change and decreasing rainfall are a growing problem.

A large part of the water consumption in the Gigafactory goes to the sanitary facilities for the 12,500 employees. Nevertheless, the company's water requirement is about 4% of the WSE's total water volume, which is relatively small compared to other industries. For example, the Jänschwalde power plant requires 44.9 million cubic meters of water annually, while Arcelor Mittal's water consumption is 6.7 million.

Proactive measures for environmental protection

What is also particularly interesting is that the Tesla factory is located in a water protection area. Therefore, various measures have been taken to avoid groundwater contamination. The buildings are designed to act like a bathtub and retain liquids. In addition, Tesla has set up 25 measuring points to continuously monitor groundwater, and so far there have been no negative impacts on groundwater from the factory.

With the prospect of expanding production to one million cars per year, Tesla plans to increase its water recycling accordingly. This shows that the group has a good knack for innovation and environmental awareness, which is more important than ever these days.