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Günther takes responsibility: Northvolt on the brink!
Prime Minister Daniel Günther is taking responsibility for the Northvolt settlement in Dithmarschen while construction work progresses.
Günther takes responsibility: Northvolt on the brink!
This week, Prime Minister Daniel Günther commented on the tense situation surrounding the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, which has filed for bankruptcy. During a small party conference of the CDU Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, he defended support for the company and took responsibility for the mistakes made during the settlement. “These are my decisions,” explained Günther and reiterated that the responsibility does not lie with the administrative staff, but clearly with him. He further said that support for Northvolt should be viewed as a political decision and that he would like to stick to the location in Heide (Dithmarschen district) in order to secure battery production in Schleswig-Holstein. According to [ndr.de].
The situation is not entirely easy, because the insolvency of Northvolt, which occurred in mid-March due to rising capital costs, geopolitical crises and weak demand for electric cars, also has an impact on the planned battery factory in Germany. According to information from zdf.de, the company has accumulated almost 5.7 billion euros in debt and has already laid off a quarter of its workforce. The subsidiary Northvolt Germany is not directly insolvent, but is under the control of an insolvency administrator in Stockholm.
Current status of construction work
Despite these uncertainties, construction work in Heide continues, but on a smaller scale than originally planned. Civil engineering for the power supply is underway, the fencing of the 110-hectare factory site is continuing, and the earthworks and planting of privacy walls have been completed. This should be seen as a positive signal for battery cell production in Germany. Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen highlighted the sustainable framework conditions in Heide and explained that the development of the infrastructure has created an attractive building area. A perspective for the location should be developed promptly in the insolvency proceedings, as not only the state government, but also the federal government and regional actors work closely together. (Source: schleswig-holstein.de)
The return to normality will still take some time. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck still sees potential for the plant in Heide and is working with experts on solutions. However, the company's fragile situation and the search for new investors could slow down progress in battery production for the time being. Against this background, close coordination and creative solutions appear to be essential in order to economically exploit the opportunities in the burgeoning e-car battery markets and for the state government to stand resolutely behind the idea of the battery factory in Schleswig-Holstein.