Dhe approval process for the billion-dollar settlement of the US semiconductor company Intel in Magdeburg is entering the decisive phase. From next Friday, the application documents for the planned chip factories will be available to the public for four weeks, as the Saxony-Anhalt State Administration Office announced. With a total of around 2,000 pages in 15 file folders, it is the most extensive application of this type ever received by the authority.
The American chip company is not the only applicant. Many of his future suppliers are now also starting their march through the authorities. It remains to be seen whether the groundbreaking for the plant can take place this year, as Intel CEO Keyvan Esfarjani announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos in mid-January. It's an investment volume of more than 30 billion euros. It is the largest foreign direct investment in Germany. The federal government has promised Intel subsidies amounting to 10 billion euros.
A major project such as the construction of chip factories outside the Saxony-Anhalt state capital must comply with the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). The law is intended to protect against harmful environmental impacts such as air pollution or noise. Intel had already submitted its application to the responsible office in Saxony-Anhalt in November. The authority first advised the applicant on this and then checked the documents submitted for completeness. This involves nature conservation, soil protection, waste, water and wastewater rights.
Model Tesla
In addition, the state administration office also coordinates approval processes such as the construction of a new sewage treatment plant or the laying of new power cables, which are necessary for Intel's plans. Several departments such as the higher construction supervision, aviation security or fire protection authorities are involved in processing the Intel application. After Intel's settlement plans were announced two years ago, the state administration office founded a working group within the authority to coordinate the procedures at the state level under the leadership of the head of the emissions control department, Michael Zorn.
“The process is running just as professionally and as quickly as other processes,” said a spokeswoman for the state administration office when asked whether the authority would set a particular pace in the approval process for Intel, as was recently the case in Brandenburg when Tesla was locating in Grünheide was the case. The construction of the car factory on the outskirts of Berlin was also carried out at “Tesla speed” because the responsible authorities repeatedly granted the US company permission to begin early construction work within the framework of Section 8a BImSchG before the approvals were granted. Intel has also submitted an application for permission to begin construction of the plant early, as can be seen from the public announcement of the application by the state administration office.
The best arable land in Germany
From February 23rd to March 22nd, all documents will be on public display, making them accessible to everyone. Authorized citizens and associations can then express concerns and raise objections. We are already expecting numerous requests to speak. At the end of May, the State Administration Office will finally invite people to a public hearing in which all the proposed projects will be discussed. The focus is likely to be on the water supply for the planned facilities and the disposal of process water from water-intensive chip production. A lot of drinking water is needed for the future high-tech park, but also for the expected population and commercial development in the wake of Intel.
Intel expects to break ground this year. Production in the new factories is scheduled to start in three years. However, before the construction pits can be dug and the foundations can be poured, at least parts of the arable land on the so-called Eulenberg, on the area of which the Intel factories will one day be located, must be moved. Because the mother earth there has it all.
When the chip company wants to prepare for the construction of its factories in the summer, around half a meter of earth will have already been removed and transported away from the huge field in Sülzetal. A mammoth project. It is firmly anchored in the development plan, as preserving the land was the express wish of the region's residents. Because they had already met in the summer of 2021 at a citizens' meeting to discuss the development of the “Eulenberg” business park. Among other things, they formulated their conditions and wishes for the upcoming industrial area. In February 2022, Intel decided on Eulenberg as the location of its new factories. The conditions on site remained the same.
As the “Burger Volksstimme” now writes, it involves a total of 1.8 million tons of earth. They are to be transported away in around 80,000 truckloads and could be refilled in the neighboring Jerichower Land. The Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Landscape Foundation is on the lookout for other suitable buyers.
The Intel Earth is already causing some desire. No wonder: it has a soil value of 90. Not only is that a lot, it also represents very good quality and potentially high yield. According to a study by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the region's soil is the best in all of Germany. Before Intel can build its modern chip factories and start production in them, the field must first be moved.
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