BERLIN, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The municipality of Gruenheide near the German capital Berlin decided on Thursday, in a second attempt, to allow the expansion of the Tesla factory, despite ongoing protests.
The first construction plan was rejected in February due to pressure from citizens. However, with a revised construction plan, the U.S. electric car maker is now allowed to build additional logistics capacities, including a freight station for trains, and around 50 hectares of forest, half the size of the original plans.
The revised construction plan "promotes municipal development, especially modern and sustainable infrastructure," said Joerg Steinbach, economics minister of the German state of Brandenburg, on social platform X on Thursday.
Protests by climate activists, warning of the factory's potential impact on groundwater, threatened to escalate their demonstration. Local media reported several injuries in a clash between police and demonstrators attempting to storm the Tesla site last week. An arson attack on a nearby electricity pylon disrupted production for days at that time.
Tesla aims to increase electric car production at its only gigafactory in Europe. However, with declining production figures, the company has already announced plans to cut jobs by 25 percent in Gruenheide, according to a report by German media Handelsblatt. ■
