Stefan Mohrdieck, district administrator of the district of Dithmarschen, stands in front of the district administration. © Axel Heimken/dpa
The Northvolt Group's plans for a battery plant in Heide are boosting the development of the structurally weak region. District Administrator Stefan Mohrdieck expects investments in the three-digit million range for roads, schools and other infrastructure. The scarcest commodity is not money.
Heide - The plans of the Swedish group Northvolt for the construction of a large battery cell factory for electric cars in Heide will permanently change the structure of the rural district of Dithmarschen, according to the district administrator. "This is something we have been waiting for a long time in our structurally weak region," Stefan Mohrdieck told the German Press Agency. He expects necessary investments in roads, schools and other infrastructures in the three-digit million range in the coming years, for which Dithmarschen is dependent on subsidies from the federal and state governments.
"Skilled workers will be the biggest limiting factor," said Mohrdieck. "It's not even the money." Although Dithmarschen still has an above-average number of unemployed compared to other districts, the trend is already positive.
It is true that state funding for the plant plans is still subject to approval by the EU and Northvolt's final decision is still pending. But Mohrdieck is already feeling the tailwind for Dithmarschen. "The development helps us to formulate infrastructure issues such as the accessibility of the region by rail and road with different clarity." It would be easier to promote the expansion of rail lines or motorways such as the A23.
The development of the west coast, pushed by abundant wind power on the North Sea, is not only taking place in Dithmarschen, said Mohrdieck. "We are talking to the state about a development axis that goes from Hamburg to Husum." The entire area of the so-called Marschbahn - the railway line from Hamburg to Sylt - will become more interesting in the future.
"There will also be many international workers who may stay in the Hamburg area, including the higher earners who send their children to international schools," Mohrdieck said. The latter does not exist in his region. "But we also want to spread this burden a bit." Not everything can take place in Heide. More inhabitants inevitably meant more schools, more health care. "There's a lot to come." This is already being taken into account in planning. "But this is very challenging for us. That's why we've already ramped up cooperation between the municipalities in the region."
Mohrdieck and his administration are looking for potential locations for other businesses and housing projects. "Structurally, we have been a shrinking region for many years, and in the past we have had to close schools due to low occupancy." He sees challenges above all in residential construction. "We already have too few apartments," Mohrdieck said. "The surplus has melted away in recent years, also due to the waves of refugees. They all stayed there and didn't move on."
For Mohrdieck, the planned battery factory is a key investment that sends out a signal. "Since then, we have had a considerable demand for commercial space at the economic development agency in Heide and also in Brunsbüttel." Finding land is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising prices. "We have to make sure that everyone feels involved." But people noticed that "something is happening for the better". There is not much resistance to the battery factory. "In the past, people always complained that there was not enough going on here, that there were too few jobs and that the population was shrinking."
While building land in Dithmarschen is becoming significantly more expensive, houses are still comparatively affordable. "Real estate prices for single-family homes have not yet seen a major increase," Mohrdieck said. "But that will change in the next few years because demand is increasing."
With the support of the federal and state governments, Northvolt is rapidly pushing ahead with the construction of a large battery cell factory for electric cars in the north. 3000 direct jobs in Heide and thousands more in the surrounding industry and in the service sector are being discussed. The goal is for the first battery cells to leave the factory in 2026. An investment volume of up to 4.5 billion euros has been mentioned. Dpa
