CATL begins trial operations at the new battery plant in Debrecen

Image: CATL (illustrative)

CATL began trial production at its newly built cell factory in Debrecen on September 22. According to the Chinese battery giant, the trial operation is initially carried out on the first two production lines for cell manufacturing. It aims to set up, optimize, and validate production facilities and processes before starting mass production.

CATL announced the construction of its second European battery plant in Debrecen in August 2022. Building the first cell factory began in the summer of 2023, and by spring 2026 it was equipped with production technology. In August 2026, the company received the operation permit and claimed to have met all relevant approval requirements and conditions under the IPPC permit for trial operations.

Before issuing the operation permit, the Hungarian government conducted regular inspections of CATL’s facilities. These checks addressed previous issues that had raised significant concerns among local residents. According to CATL, officials confirmed that the company had resolved all deficiencies identified during the approval process earlier on.

Since the fall of 2024, CATL has been producing battery modules in Debrecen. According to the company, 537,000 modules have been manufactured so far. Once all facilities are completed, the Hungarian site, with a capacity of 100 GWh, is set to become CATL’s largest production base outside China.

The plant is intended to supply leading European automakers that have built production capacity for electric vehicles in Hungary over the past few years, according to the company. CATL states that it has established flexible production lines in Debrecen to meet its customers’ needs. The company set out to integrate itself into Europe’s automotive and electric mobility supply chain and better serve European automakers with this facility.

During the trial operation, health, safety, and environmental factors must be thoroughly monitored. CATL states that it intends to proactively submit the results to authorities and continue working closely with the government and relevant agencies. The Chinese company also claims to be “committed to transparency” and welcomes inspections by authorities at its facility at any time.

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About the author

Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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