Tax billions in danger: Northvolt threatens to end in Schleswig-Holstein!
Tax billions in danger: Northvolt threatens to end in Schleswig-Holstein!
The bankruptcy of the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt throws great shadows on the financial planning of the federal government and Schleswig-Holstein. According to Merkur , the expected costs for the German taxpayers over one millions. But what exactly went wrong?
Together,BUND and Land have invested more than one billion euros in a work in Heide. In 2020, the federal government took over a guarantee for a loan of 430 million euros for the main plant in northern Sweden. In October 2023, another guarantee of 600 million euros followed for a KfW conversion bond, which Northvolt should provide equity. If everything had worked out well, the federal government could even have received shares. Unfortunately, the reality looks different.
The consequences of bankruptcy
The news about bankruptcy is alarming - originally over 3,000 new jobs were to be created in Heide. But now there are ambiguities about the future use of the site, while the construction work at the factory continues. However, the goal and future operator remain a mystery.
Northvolt also announced the closure of the main plant in Skellefteå for June 30, 2025 at the latest. An investigation committee of the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament plans to work up the entire process and the question of guilt. The PWC report, which was not given to the Finance Committee in advance, must also be thoroughly examined. Many of the published information is blackened, which does not make the search for clarity easier.
The view of the state government
How does the state government deal with the critical Situation? In a report by NDR Change bond. He emphasizes that PWC assessed the risk as reasonable, while the federal government is expected to pay a timely payment of the 300 million euro loss guarantee. However, the debt of Schleswig-Holstein could further tighten a delay in payment.
It is important for the state government to point out that the funds provided are not lost. They were clearly invested in the construction of the factory in Heide, with a large part of the sum already being used for machine accounts. But as the opposition notes: it remains unclear how much the complete project will ultimately cost and what role the guarantees will play in this context.
look at the international environment
This shows that despite the challenges in Schleswig-Holstein there is a larger picture. Countries such as the USA, China and Japan pursue ambitious strategies to consolidate their position in the field of battery technology. Germany, on the other hand, relies on a strategy open to technology, but now aims at specific performance parameters in production.
Overall, it remains to be seen how the matter will develop around Northvolt and what teachings can be drawn from it. One thing is certain: the coming months will be decisive for the future of battery supplies-and for the finances of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.
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| Ort | Heide, Deutschland |
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