Battery Factory: When Local Residents Stand Firm in Hungary
This page is translated from the original post "Usine de batteries : quand les riverains font front en Hongrie" in French.
- 17/02/2023 17:00
In Debrecen, Hungary, residents are resisting the installation of a new CATL electric vehicle battery factory. Is it unfounded?
Hungary aims to become the battery giant for electric vehicles in Europe. Although without a car manufacturer or battery producer, the country is seeing numerous sites being developed. But one of them is struggling, in the region of Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city.
A giant site… not so green?
In August 2022, the world’s number one for electric vehicle batteries, CATL, announced this new factory. It is the second in Europe for the Chinese manufacturer, which hoped to build this site to eventually produce 100 GWh of batteries annually. It would supply CATL’s partners, namely BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Volkswagen. This would represent between one and two million electric cars per year, including the future generation BMW “Neue Klasse” produced… also in Debrecen starting in 2025.
Despite promises from the Asian company, especially regarding renewable electricity or “solar energy with local partners,” anger is mounting. According to AFP reporting on this news, the local population “is concerned about the development of yet another factory on their soil, pointing out its environmental impact.” Local residents gathered on February 4th to oppose this project, which they say is “very energy- and water-intensive” and could even cause “discharges of toxic substances into the soil and groundwater.”
A lack of workers for the battery factory?
This is seen as “misinformation” according to Viktor Orbán’s government. Contacted by AFP, CATL reportedly stated it is “open to questions and comments from the local community.”
Another issue raised, non-environmental this time, is the lack of labor for the 9,000 jobs needed at the battery plant… Residents speculate about an influx of Asian workers to fill these positions. This view is also shared by Professor Dora Gyorffy, who considers the CALT site in Hungary as an “environmental disaster.”
Should we therefore bet on bicycles, a greener and more promising industry? In any case, the city of Debrecen has approved the building permit for this February 13th, but with several restrictions: regular water testing, air quality checks, and noise control.
Also read: Automotive battery recycling: a sector in France by 2030?
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