It’s always interesting to find new information that’s hidden in plain sight – and Tesla’s Giga Berlin site in Grünheide revealed an interesting issue. When discussing with Torque News editor Armen Hareyan about the ownership of vehicles engaged in leveling the site, I was suddenly reminded of a photo that appeared a fortnight ago. It’s the kind of sign that you can find outside any building site, listing the client and contractors.
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“Clearance of contaminated site / old deposits”
“Beräumung Altlast / Altablagerung” simply translated means “Clearance of contaminated site / old deposits”. I am sure that this refers solely to the clearance of the rubble mound and other remnants of its Stasi past, rather than the trees and roots, in particular as it covers the period February through April. In fact, in most EU states it is the responsibility of the seller to ensure that the land is clear of contamination. This “sanitizing” work can be very intensive as it often covers the removal of topsoil contaminated through years of industrial activity or even sand and clay levels that may be contaminated by old underground waste oil or fuel tanks. Hopefully, in the case of Tesla’s site in Grünheide the task will be relatively simple.
Tesla Giga Berlin's Client and Contractors
The signboard shows the client as Landesbetrieb Forst Brandenburg in Potsdam. In effect, this state organization, located 35km southwest of Berlin is responsible for the management of forests in Brandenburg. Their website is rather nice and underscores the importance of environmental protection that is enjoyed in Germany. Even without any skills in German language, it’s worth taking a look. Brandenburg is a highly forested state with over 1.1milion hectares (2.7 million acres) of forest, accounting for 37% of land usage. Of this, around 25% is state-owned.
For planning, health and safety and road construction, the specialist management firm CDM Smith Consult GmbH has been appointed as the main contractor. This is the German arm of the CDM Smith organisation, a global privately-owned environment and water firm providing client service and smart solutions in water, environment, transportation, mining and oil and gas. Their specialties include due diligence and implementation of property transfer and redevelopment planning.
A consortium of executing contractors has been set up for Giga Berlin:
• DARE Baudienstleistungen GmbH – specializing in demolition and site decontamination
• Erdtrans GmbH – specializing in demolition, transportation, and waste disposal
• Becker + Armbrust GmbH – specializing in waste disposal services
This is a big operation as the rubble pile will need to be screened for contamination and treated and disposed of accordingly.
In the meantime, the work at Giga Berlin is proceeding well. Tesla has extended its office hours in Grunheide and to provide information to concerned citizens on the issues currently disputed in relation to Giga Berlin factory.
Andy Granger has 44 years of experience in Automotive industry and spends his time between Perth in Australia and the Solomon Islands. Andy is a Tesla enthusiast and love electric cars. You can follow Andy on Facebook and send him news tips. Andy's writings mainly focus on Tesla news coverage and particularly the Giga Berlin factory.
Image by Tobias Lindh (Twitter).
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