State capital Dresden, Saxony Energy and Saxony Economic Development: From 2030, the Elbe will supply industrial water for Dresden’s chip factories

Dirk Panter, Saxon State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection: “With up to 100 million euros in funding, the Free State of Saxony is sending a clear signal: We are strengthening Europe’s most important microelectronics location and creating the basis for further strategic growth, innovative strength and competitiveness. At the same time, this project, in close cooperation with the city of Dresden and utilities such as SachsenEnergie, shows that large industrial settlements are only successful with an efficient water, energy and transport infrastructure – and that such future-oriented projects can be implemented in Germany.”

Closed water cycle: Purified water flows back into the Elbe

In order to future-proof the water supply for both the population and industry, SachsenEnergie has been separating the drinking water supply from the industrial water supply in several stages since 2023. The river water plant is being built in the Übigau industrial estate and will supply the chip manufacturers in the north of Dresden via two new pipelines from the end of 2030. At peak times, the plant will be able to supply up to 67,000 cubic meters of water per day and its expandability has also been planned in advance. Around 80 percent of the water used flows back into the Elbe via the municipal drainage system. This means that even when the Elbe is at low water, less than 0.23 percent of the water that flows through Dresden every second is removed.  

These are the next construction steps

The ground investigations for the new river waterworks have largely been completed. In the next step, the state dam administration will reinforce the flood protection dyke in Übigau. Once the necessary approvals and detailed planning have been obtained, construction will begin. Work on the construction of the transport pipelines that will carry the water to the north has been underway since 2024. 

Clear financing: no burden for household customers

As things stand, the total cost of the industrial water supply system, including transport pipelines, is currently over 300 million euros and will be largely borne by SachsenEnergie. The state capital of Dresden and the Free State of Saxony are contributing 150 million euros. Until the river waterworks are commissioned in 2030, SachsenEnergie will cover the increasing demand for water from industry through its own investment measures in the drinking water infrastructure. Household customers do not bear any costs that are attributable to the production of industrial water. SachsenEnergie allocates the costs for the two separate supply systems of industrial and drinking water supply according to the polluter-pays principle. 

Project with a signal effect beyond Dresden

The construction of the river waterworks is also attracting international interest. The CEO of SachsenEnergie, Dr. Frank Brinkmann, emphasizes the sustainability of the project: “We not only want to cover current needs, but also create the basis for a resilient industrial cluster with a stable supply infrastructure that will enable further settlements in the future. Our experience is already in demand from other regions in Germany and Europe.” Inquiries have been received from the Netherlands and France, among others. The project can therefore serve as a model for other industrial locations across Europe.

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Further links

👉 www.dresden.de  
👉 www.sachsenenergie.de  
👉 https://standort-sachsen.de  

Photo: unsplash