In German coal-producing areas, Gigafactories could provide new source of employment

The federal government wants to soften the blow of phasing out coal by investing in large battery factories, or Gigafactories, according to an article in Die Welt. In coal-mining areas around the country, these manufacturing facilities could provide a new source of employment to affected workers. The German car industry and battery manufacturers have yet to invest seriously in such factories because of a high degree of risk, leading the federal government to consider filling this investment gap. Coal-fired power generation and mining employs over 25,000 people in Germany and tens of thousands jobs more indirectly depend on coal.  For Germany to meet it climate goals, experts believe it will have to invest substantially in energy-storing technologies.

Read the article in German here.

For background, see the factsheet Germany’s coal exit commission and the dossier New technologies for the Energiewende.