Wittelsheim (Haut-Rhin) is going out of its way to welcome the fifth gigafactory in France. Understand a huge factory capable of producing the latest generation of lithium electric batteries to power cars and trucks. The project is led by Blue Solutionsa subsidiary of the Bolloré group, which set its sights on Alsace during a press conference last May, without saying more about the precise location of the factory. “Consultations are still ongoing, the decision will be made by early 2025 at the latest“, replies the industrialist. Until then, Wittelsheim is refining his arguments.
The hope of industrial reconversion
The town of 11,000 inhabitants, northwest of Mulhouse, has already identified the future site: a 92 hectare plot of land behind the former Amélie II slag heap, located near the railway line. “It is the equivalent of potash, discovered by Amélie Zurcher, a century of happiness“, welcomes Mayor Yves Goepfert, because reconverting a mining tile, I wouldn't have bet much that one day it could happen…“The project would make it possible to move from a mining area to the production of solid-state lithium batteries, presented today as a small revolution in the electric automobile sector.
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Blue Solutions prides itself on marketing parts with “an energy density more than ten times higher than that of a graphite material. A simplified production process, highly recyclable and enhanced security.” The factory is expected for 2026, with 230 employees upon openingand up to 1,500 by 2032 divided into five production modules. In addition to these direct jobs, “we must add all the subcontractors that a factory like this will employ, whether electricians, metalworkers, heating engineers… This is very good news for the industrial fabric of Wittelsheim“, adds the elected official.
Outcry from environmental defense associations
The mayor then lists the arguments in favor of Wittelsheim. Germany is not far away, but Blue Solutions has already announced that the batteries will be intended for automobile manufacturers across the Rhine. A railway and roads are nearby, which facilitates the transit of goods and, more rarely, the site benefits from a 225,000 Volt supply, a significant asset in a heavy industry project.
Currently, the land is partly occupied by solar panels. If the green light is given, the photovoltaic installations would be moved in a year and a half, two years, to another site. A move which would then be financed by M2A. But where the picture tends to darken is the presence of a ZNIEFF (Natural zone of ecological, fauna and flora interest), located near the site. “The fauna and flora impact study is in progress“, warns the mayor, who assures that the project will not affect the ZNIEFF.
Julien Penot
This is not the opinion of the Alsace Nature association which is concerned about the establishment of industrial projects in areas where nature has reclaimed its rights. “There is a very rich biodiversity here“, points out Yann Flory, representative of the association at the scale of the agglomeration. Around him, bushes, trees, plants, plants, flowers and wild grasses have gradually grown in this immense wasteland, where we can distinguish an old railway track, some rubble here and there and a slightly bumpy road leading to the solar panels.
In the distance, the old slag heap stands. It looks more like a green hill. “You have different types of snakes, lizards…You have the green toad for example, the very symbol of this endangered species, which is protected and which has found refuge here“, defends the activist, before resuming, if you destroy that habitat, you remove all of those species.“Yann Flory says he is exasperated by these projects which come at the cost of biodiversity,”Politicians need to change their thinking software“, he adds. If the factory were to materialize, he does not rule out using all legal tools at his disposal, and even to occupy the land to make himself heard.
