Fear about water supply: Green League wants to take action again against plan for Red Bull plant

dpa | The Brandenburg Green League also wants to take legal action against the new development plan for the expansion of the plant of the beverage manufacturers Red Bull and Rauch. The environmental network announced that it would lodge an appeal against the development plan in Baruth/Mark with the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court. This will take place after the plan is published in the official gazette, it said in a statement.

The Green League had already filed a lawsuit and thus slowed down the project. In February, the Higher Administrative Court stopped the first development plan for the expansion of the industrial site in Baruth/Mark, around 50 kilometers south of Berlin. Among other things, a new canning plant for Red Bull energy drinks is to be built there. The city council voted for a new development plan last week.

“In addition to the lack of clarity regarding noise protection, rainwater seepage and species protection, there are serious formal deficiencies that also justify the ineffectiveness of the new development plan,” said the lawyer for the Brandenburg Green League, Tim Stähle. "The aim was obviously to draw up the development plan as quickly as possible. Proper examination and consideration fell by the wayside."

The critics complain that the city has not yet officially announced the agreed development plan and are demanding that this be done immediately. Only from this point on can it be examined in court. Environmental initiatives therefore fear that the clearing of the forest areas earmarked for the expansion could begin before a judicial review is possible. This was announced by the Baruth Resource Alliance.

The company has planned to start operations at the can plant in 2028 after the delay due to the legal disputes. There have been long-standing protests against the expansion, particularly due to water consumption. Drought consequences are increasing due to climate change. The companies always emphasize that no more water is needed than before.

According to the company, around 3.3 billion cans of energy drinks are expected to be produced per year. So far, the finished cans for filling the drinks in Baruth/Mark have been transported by truck to the factory.

17 hectares of pine forest are to be cleared for the expansion near the existing factory halls. But the necessary official approval for the construction of the can factory is still missing.