Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The construction of the semiconductor factory planned by Wolfspeed and the German automotive supplier ZF in Saarland has been postponed indefinitely This has now been confirmed by Saarland Minister President Anke Rehlinger On Tuesday it was reported that the billion-euro project was on the brink of cancellation partly because ZF allegedly wanted to withdraw from the project according to the German Handelsblatt newspaper This has still not been officially confirmed But there is a lot of sand in the project’s gears: The Minister-President of Saarland announced that the construction of the semiconductor factory will be delayed indefinitely “This does not mean that the project has been shelved but it has been pushed back further on the timeline to an unspecified date especially depending on the developing market situation,” Rehlinger said the main investor Wolfspeed remains committed to the Ensdorf site The “uncertainties that have now arisen around the investment at Wolfspeed” are “a setback for Saarland” and also “a setback for structural change in Saarland,” the head of the state added This reflects the difficult market situation for e-mobility in Germany and Europe This is because the silicon carbide semiconductors produced in Ensdorf are primarily intended for use in electric cars – hence the connection between the ramp-up of electromobility and the demand for semiconductors Wolfspeed and automotive supplier ZF presented their plans for the factory in Saarland in February 2023 they said they wanted to start construction as soon as possible Wolfspeed announced that construction would not begin until 2025 after all Wolfspeed wanted to invest around 2.7 billion euros and ZF the much smaller amount of 170 million euros around half a billion euros in state funding was to be provided by the federal government and Saarland ZF has since commented on the matter in an interview with the publication Wirtschaftswoche The company refutes the claim that ZF is responsible for delaying Wolfspeed’s plans to build a chip factory in Ensdorf “ZF has always provided intensive and active support here We do not comment on the exact content of the partnership or on funding instruments,” ZF specified The news agency Reuters reported that Wolfspeed had put the plan for the plant on hold indefinitely due to weak demand for electric cars “They don’t know whether it still makes sense to enter the European market,” Reuters quoted an insider as saying Wolfspeed has still not commented on the matter I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013. 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You can do this here a leading global design and consultancy organization for natural and built assets has been commissioned to provide services to clean up and dismantle the Ensdorf coal-fired power plant in Saarland thereby creating the conditions for successful and sustainable repurposing of the site This will allow the US based semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed and the German based automotive supplier ZF to jointly build a large semiconductor plant in the site accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and supporting the sustainable transformation of Germany’s industrial sector The Ensdorf power plant in Saarland has been used for coal-fired power generation from 1961 until 2017 Repurposing the site for sustainable use will include the development of both a commercial and an industrial area with maximum use of the existing infrastructure ZF and Wolfspeed are planning to build a factory for energy-efficient silicon carbide semiconductors – used to power electric vehicles - on the site which is expected to create around 1,000 new jobs in the region Prerequisites for the successful conversion of the site included extensive preliminary investigations and planning in the areas of soil and the identification of recyclable materials The power plant covers a total area of approximately 53 hectares part of which comprises buildings with a volume of around 1.5 million cubic meters Distinctive components include the chimneys of units 1 and 3 with a height of 150m and 180m respectively; the cooling tower of unit 3 with a height of 115m; and the boiler houses of units 1 and 2 with a capacity of 120 MW each and unit 3 (built in 1972) with a capacity of 310 MW The former power plant operator and owner of the site has commissioned Arcadis to carry out the necessary services for remediation With many years of experience in the fields of power plant dismantling including having worked on similar projects across Germany as well as in the UK Arcadis was able to qualify for this complex challenge and successfully assert itself in the subsequent bidding competition said: “As the world transitions to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources it is vital that we continue to bring many of these former industrial sites back into productive use Recycling and making use of existing infrastructure and assets is a cornerstone of the circular economy but preparing a site for reuse can often be a complex and long-term process Arcadis has decades of global experience in sustainable land remediation and this project closely aligns with our strategy to create sustainable and resilient assets that support the net zero ambitions of the countries in which we operate.” remediation and redevelopment of coal-fired power plants is a key element of Germany’s approach to energy transition and we are delighted with the confidence that VSE has placed in us to lead this important and transformative project Using the best methods available worldwide to increase sustainability through circularity and using digital tools to maximize efficiency and safety during remediation I’m confident that we will be able to meet the high demands here in Ensdorf working together to enable the transition to a fossil-free world.” Connect with {name} for more information & questions Arcadis will use your name and email address only to respond to your question. More information can be found in our Privacy policy We are 36,000 people active in over 30 countries We support our clients wherever they need us Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times An unusual sight caught my eye atop a hill near the town of Saarlouis recently while I was driving toward the French border: a futuristic and enigmatic structure that stood boldly against the sky a memorial to the region’s mining industry a local mining heritage preservation group built the metal structure perched atop the Duhamel spoil tip of the former coal mine in Ensdorf which sprawls across roughly 125 acres and soars about 500 feet above the surrounding Saar valley tells the story of the region’s history of coal mining We followed a snaking path through the woods and after the short and steep 30-minute hike we reached the moonscape of the rocky plateau at the top we marveled at the structure’s sleek lines of steel which intersected with the rugged terrain and evoked a space station the all-metal structure appears to be suspended effortlessly The multi-angled tower felt like it changed shape as we walked around it we were treated to a spectacular panoramic view from the 100-foot-high platform Saarlouis stretched below along the banks of the shimmering Saar River and we could even make out distant France and Luxembourg on the horizon Reminiscent of the underground support structures used in the coal mines the Polygon’s prominent hilltop location also is a reminder of the winding towers that hoisted coal to the surface The Ensdorf mine once employed 2,700 people Its closure in 2012 marked the end of an era in the Saarland which had been one of the most important coal-producing regions in Europe every ton of precious coal unearthed left behind more than 800 pounds of slag More than eight such heaps in the Saarland have been reforested and declared natural monuments that bear witness to the work that once created whole communities and drove the state’s economy Saarland’s coal industry experienced an unexpected revival recently amid concerns over Germany’s energy supply in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the disruption of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline Visitors here can dive deeper into the work that moved mountains and descend into its history underground which offers its own 2.6-mile walking trail featuring family-friendly signs that explain more about the coal industry The signs are in German but can be easily translated with an app Our favorite station invited visitors to explore the hill’s plentiful supply of small rocks for fossils My wife and I quickly found inclusions of ferns and grasses in the grey slate sheets We then followed the path to the statue of Saint Barbara the patron saint of the miners and their families Also visible from Monte Barbara is Bexbach’s coal-fired power plant As Germany grapples with its energy supply shift with its twisted shape and view on the areas many wind energy turbines seems a fitting symbol of this difficult transition it’s a great way to get outside and remember what it takes to keep the lights on at home Directions: The Saar Polygon is located in 66806 Ensdorf and is easily accessible from Kaiserslautern by car via the A6 and A8 highways Free roadside parking is available along Bei Fussenkreuz road Monte Barbara is located a short walk from Bexbach Mining Museum at Niederbexbacher Str Times: Official hours for the Polygon are 8 a.m Cost: The Polygon and Monte Barbara are free Food: Saarlouis offers a variety of restaurants A favorite for reliable Italian fare is Donna Mia located a 10-minute drive from the Polygon at Kleiner Markt 1 The restaurant East has Chinese street food rarely found in Germany Wolfspeed and ZF are planning a joint R&D center in Germany to accelerate global Silicon Carbide system and device top innovation ZF intends to invest in Wolfspeed in order to support construction of the world’s most advanced and largest Silicon Carbide device fab the global leader in Silicon Carbide technology and ZF a global technology company enabling next generation mobility today announced a strategic partnership that includes the creation of a joint innovation lab to drive advances in Silicon Carbide systems and devices for mobility The partnership also includes a significant investment by ZF to support the planned construction of the world’s most advanced and largest 200mm Silicon Carbide device fab in Ensdorf Both the joint innovation lab and the Wolfspeed device fab are planned as part of the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) for Microelectronics and Communication Technologies framework and are dependent upon state aid approval from the European Commission “These initiatives are a significant step towards a successful industrial transformation They strengthen European supply resilience and support the European Green Deal and the strategic goals for Europe’s Digital Decade,” said Dr Wolfspeed and ZF Partner on Silicon Carbide R&D Center The strategic partnership includes a joint research facility in Germany that will focus on real world e-mobility and renewable energy system level challenges The goal of the collaboration is to develop breakthrough innovations for Silicon Carbide systems covering the full value chain from chip to complete systems Additional collaboration partners will be invited to participate in the innovation process establishing an end-to-end European Silicon Carbide innovation network The R&D center will focus on innovation for Silicon Carbide systems and devices to meet specific requirements in all mobility segments including consumer and industrial vehicles as well as in the industrial and renewable energy markets The collaboration will drive improvements such as higher efficiency increased power density and higher performances for electrification solutions ZF to Invest in Wolfspeed for Next Generation 200mm Silicon Carbide Fab Wolfspeed plans to construct a fully automated highly advanced 200mm wafer fabrication facility in Saarland ZF intends to support this new construction by making a sizable financial investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for Wolfspeed common stock As a part of this investment ZF will have a minority ownership position in the fab Wolfspeed will maintain all operational and management control rights in the new fab ZF and Wolfspeed previously announced a strategic partnership in 2019 to create industry-leading highly efficient electric drivelines with a Silicon Carbide inverter and these new initiatives represent the next generation of innovation for the partners “We have a strong partner by our side in ZF which brings industry-leading experience in scaling components for electric mobility as well as the aptitude to accelerate innovation in Silicon Carbide systems and power devices I am confident this partnership will lift Silicon Carbide semiconductor technology to a new level of global impact supporting increased sustainability and efficiency efforts across a multitude of industries,” said Gregg Lowe Wolfspeed and ZF combine expertise in power electronics and systems with a know-how in applications that is unparalleled in the industry Wolfspeed brings its more than 35 years in Silicon Carbide technology and at ZF we have a unique understanding of the overall systems across all sectors from passenger cars and commercial vehicles to construction machinery The close cooperation between fab and R&D center will enable us to develop breakthrough innovations beyond state of the art for the benefit of our customers,” says Stephan von Schuckmann Member of the ZF Board of Management.The foundation of a joint research and development center as well as ZF's participation in Wolfspeed are subject to relevant regulatory approvals in particular the approvals of the relevant antitrust authorities Current image and film material from the announcement event can be found under this link: https://assets.zf.com/pinaccess/showpin.do?pinCode=EEVAZ8UREvvI Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) leads the market in the worldwide adoption of Silicon Carbide and GaN technologies We provide industry-leading solutions for efficient energy consumption and a sustainable future Wolfspeed’s product families include Silicon Carbide materials power devices and RF devices targeted for various applications such as electric vehicles We unleash the power of possibilities through hard work collaboration and a passion for innovation Learn more at www.wolfspeed.com Wolfspeed® is a registered trademark of Wolfspeed ZF is a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars commercial vehicles and industrial technology In the four technology domains of Vehicle Motion Control ZF offers comprehensive product and software solutions for established vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types the company contributes to reducing emissions protecting the climate and enhancing safe mobility ZF reported sales of €38.3 billion in fiscal 2021 The company operates 188 production locations in 31 countries Today's print edition Home Delivery In the shadow of the decaying Ensdorf coal plant Olaf Scholz met with businesses and political leaders on Wednesday to celebrate the site’s future as a chipmaking factory for electric vehicles It was a promising sign for the German chancellor after a hectic week of pitching Europe’s economic powerhouse as it pivots away from energy-intensive old technologies "The fact that the good old days are gone doesn’t mean that the good new days can’t begin,” Scholz said at the event which marked a $3 billion deal between auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen and American semiconductor maker Wolfspeed Inc.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The windswept site in Germany’s tiny western Saarland region is half a world away from the South American capitals the 64-year-old toured last week securing access to that country’s hydrogen resources negotiating lithium supply for German industry unveiling a €200 million environmental package with money earmarked for renewable energy initiatives the underlying message to corporate Germany and the wider world was the same: Berlin is open for business In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division The ailing automotive supplier ZF apparently no longer wants to participate in a chip factory planned in Saarland The plant was to be built in partnership with the US group Wolfspeed but is now likely to be cancelled following ZF's withdrawal At the beginning of 2023 in which a highly automated 200 mm wafer plant for silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors was to be built on the site of the former coal-fired power plant in Ensdorf in Saarland 600 jobs were to be created and the plant was due to be completed in 2027 the 2.75 billion euro project is now apparently on the brink of cancellation At least that is what the German Handelsblatt newspaper claims to have learnt from government and industry circles ZF was only supposed to hold a minority stake in the planned factory – but the withdrawal would still be so serious that the entire project could be cancelled this is also due to the fact that Wolfspeed is in the red and is also struggling with technical problems at its US-American plants the company is currently focussing on the construction of two factories in the USA and has already delayed the start of construction in Saarland If the semiconductor factory is not built after all this would be a further setback for Germany’s ambitions to build a major chip production facility in the country The US company Intel recently postponed its plans to build a chip factory in Magdeburg by an estimated two years Semiconductors are also particularly important for the automotive industry – and they are even more important for electric cars than combustion engines. This is because a battery-electric car has twice as many semiconductors as a car with a combustion engine the management consultancy P3 speaks of 1,300 to 600 units per car And these are mainly located in the drivetrain (600 to 300) Semiconductors made of silicon carbide also enable car manufacturers to either use smaller batteries in electric cars or offer a longer range ZF was keen to invest in the new semiconductor factory primarily because of its importance to the automotive industry A research and development centre was also to be set up on-site to focus on innovations for silicon carbide systems and devices to meet specific requirements in all mobility segments The centre would not only focus on passenger cars handelsblatt.com (in German electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology