Steffen told the Environment Committee of the Brandenburg state parliament that the approval process was “in the final phase”. “But that does not mean that tomorrow the notification can be sufficient. This will take some time.“
Steffen did not want to confirm or deny a report by the TV channel “rbb”, according to which the first electric cars for sale will be produced in Grünheide no earlier than mid-March, neither. He did not want to get involved in speculation, he said. But the procedure teaches that one must always expect further delays in the short term. At the time of an approval notice, he could not say anything, Steffen added. Even after that, it is not immediately put into operation, but the project developer must still meet other requirements and provide evidence. The actual production process could therefore not start the day after the notification. “In case of doubt, this will take a few more weeks,” Steffen said.