Green Light for Eve Power’s Battery Factory in Debrecen

Eve Power is a major supplier to BMW.

Eve Power’s battery factory in Debrecen (eastern Hungary) has received environmental permit, the Chinese company wrote in a press release published on Friday.

The Debrecen plant will be built using a special technology that conserves water resources, a rarity not only in Hungary but also globally, haon.hu cited the company as saying.

This new solution will allow the industrial use of treated wastewater, thus minimizing the use of drinking water in the production process.

The city authorities are taking several key measures to protect the residents from pollution: one of them is that factories are allowed to use only 5% of clean drinking water supplies, the portal recalls.

For the company, the primary goal is to work in partnership with the city’s residents in a sustainable way over the long term and “to become a good neighbor,” the company said. They added that the construction of the Debrecen plant will take into account the experience gained from the operation and management of existing plants, complemented by an R&D base.

They pointed out that as a major supplier to BMW,

Eve Power’s Debrecen plant will have a major impact on the operation of the German car maker’s factory in the city and on the jobs created by BMW, as their batteries will be the main component of the Neue Klasse BMWs.

The relationship between the two companies was preceded by a long series of negotiations.

The first test production vehicle of the all-electric Neue Klasse X model in the Debrecen factory of BMW. Photo: Facebook/BMW Group Gyár Debrecen

They stressed that the position of the Hungarian government, the city of Debrecen and the authorities was clear even before the announcement of the Debrecen plant: to comply with stricter rules than those of the EU and to prioritize environmental and industrial safety aspects, while ensuring maximum transparency.

Fact

The world’s ninth largest battery manufacturer announced in May 2023 that it will build its first European plant in Debrecen with an investment of around HUF 400 billion (EUR 980 million). The investment will create over 1,000 new jobs. Earthworks for the battery cell plant in Debrecen’s north-western economic zone started at the end of 2023 and construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The plant is scheduled to start operations in 2026 with one production line and to expand its capacity in a ramp-up system.

Stricter Environmental Controls Imposed on Debrecen Battery Plant