As of: January 23, 2024 12:00 p.m
After the municipality of Norderwöhrden decided to build the Northvolt battery factory, there is great joy in many places in the country. Prime Minister Günther thanks everyone who worked on it for two years.
“This is a big decision for our country and especially for our west coast,” wrote Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) on Facebook after the decision in Norderwöhrden. One of the largest industrial settlements in Schleswig-Holstein could now come – around 3,000 jobs would be created, said Günther.
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“Our state government negotiated hard for this settlement in close and trusting dialogue with the company and the federal government and also intensively campaigned for the necessary support at the European level,” wrote Günther. Of all the possible locations around the globe, Northvolt ultimately chose Schleswig-Holstein. He thanked everyone who has been involved in this process over the past two years. Now we move from theory into practice.
Habeck: Setting up Northvolt was “a lot of struggle”
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) said he was relieved about the decision: “It was a lot of struggle to locate Northvolt in Schleswig-Holstein or Germany.” A preliminary decision by Northvolt for the location in Schleswig-Holstein was withdrawn after the USA launched a huge subsidy program. The federal government then went through Brussels.
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Critics of the project on the West Coast fear that the expansion of the infrastructure could not keep up. Habeck replies that the 3,000 jobs will build up over time. The region already has expertise in mechanical engineering with the West Coast University of Applied Sciences in Heide. The investment, the factory, the jobs directly are only part of the country’s economic strengthening: “Gastronomy, culture, daycare centers, schools, bakeries – all of this comes as infrastructure. This is an anchor investment that covers large areas of the west coast “Will strengthen Schleswig-Holstein and make it more attractive.” However, the rail connection to Hamburg needs to be improved.
Schleswig-Holstein’s Energy Transition Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) called the establishment of Northvolt a milestone towards becoming a climate-neutral industrial country: “Now we are reaping the fruits that we have sown with the consistent expansion of renewable energies and our power grids here in Schleswig-Holstein.”
Mayor of Norderwöhrden: Northvolt must adhere to the rules
Norderwöhrden’s mayor Kay-Uwe Evers (FWN) said: “I now urgently need a binding commitment from the federal government for a railway connection so that we can get freight traffic off the roads.” According to a Northvolt spokesman, the company will start construction work in the spring. Despite all the haste, Northvolt must continue to adhere to all the rules, the mayor warned.
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Dithmarschen’s District Administrator Stefan Mohrdieck (non-party) named the direct connection to the A23 as a central component that still needs to be fulfilled. The cross-industry employers’ association of the West Coast (UVUW) was pleased with the result in Norderwöhrden. In the coming years there will be challenges for the regional economy, but also opportunities. According to a UVUW survey, one in three companies expects the regional infrastructure to improve.
Criticism of the bottleneck A23
Bundestag member Mark Helfrich (CDU) from the Itzehoe constituency very much welcomes the final decision to locate Northvolt – and once again refers critically to Federal Economics Minister Habeck’s veto from May 2023 on the accelerated expansion of the A23. This is a fatal signal for the Northvolt settlement: “The construction and of course also the operation of the huge battery factory requires the most trouble-free transport connection to Hamburg.” The A23 on the outskirts of Hamburg is already a bottleneck.
The chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group in Schleswig-Holstein, Serpil Midyatli, is also pleased about the approval from Norderwöhrden – and urges the state government to do its homework: it can help local communities with the upcoming challenges that this mega project brings with it bring yourself, don’t leave yourself alone. As examples, she cites the construction of enough housing and schools or the recruitment of suitable skilled workers.
The federal and state governments are funding the project with several hundred million
The Swedish company wants to build a factory for battery cells for electric cars on an area in the two communities of Norderwöhrden and Lohe-Rickelshof. 4.5 billion euros are to be invested there – the federal and state governments are funding the project with several hundred million. The factory, which is scheduled to be completed in 2026 and create 3,000 jobs, is one of the largest industrial projects in Schleswig-Holstein in decades.
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