Intel's Magdeburg building land is ordered again
Because Intel is not building its German semiconductor plants for now, a farmer is now using the land again for agricultural purposes, and to keep hamsters away
Intel's farmland in Magdeburg (in spring 2022).
(Image: c't / chh)
In future, corn plants and sunflowers will bloom on Intel's farmland in Magdeburg. The area is currently still unused, as Intel has officially postponed the start of construction of its semiconductor plants there by two years. The reason for this is the economic difficulties – so construction is not expected to start until 2026 at the earliest.
It remains to be seen whether this will work with Intel's change of CEO, the geopolitical tensions and the success of the Intel Foundry. However, Intel does not appear to have completely abandoned the Magdeburg project: the corn plants and sunflowers at the edge of the field are explicitly intended to keep away the hamsters that used to live there. The agricultural cultivation is currently planned on a temporary basis.
Hamsters are an endangered species. According to an MDR report from summer 2022, there were several field hamster burrows on the site, in which up to 50 of the animals lived. They have since been relocated.
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Farmer commissioned
According to the German Press Agency (dpa), Intel has commissioned the Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Landscape Foundation to manage the approximately 400 hectares (4 km²). The foundation, in turn, has selected a farmer. The only condition for using the land was that it be surrounded by certain plants. While the dpa only mentions maize, the MDR also reports on sunflowers.
"While our project on the Eulenberg is paused, we decided that this was the most suitable use for the land", explains company spokeswoman Marie-Kristin Mehlitz.
If Intel returns to its original construction plan, several semiconductor plants will be built in Magdeburg for a good 30 billion euros. This would be the largest and most modern production site for chips in Europe. It is unclear what the subsidies will look like if the start of construction is delayed. Originally, the federal government wanted to contribute 10 billion euros.
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