Debrecen's CATL giant investment is coming to an end

Production of battery cells will start next year at the CATL plant to be built in Debrecen, the world's leading battery company announced at a press event on 20 November.

Building services and electrical installations are already underway

The Chinese company is building its second European battery factory in the Déli Industrial Park in Debrecen, with a total annual production capacity of 100 GWh. According to Wednesday's information, the project is nearing completion, the battery cell factory building is finished and the building services and electrical installations are currently underway. The first cells will be produced at the factory in 2025, as originally planned.

An important milestone in recent months was that in response to customer demand, CATL started assembling battery modules in September in a 60,000 square metre hall rented next to the factory under construction in Debrecen's Southern Industrial Park.

Cooling towers are used to reduce water consumption

At the press event, Jason Chen, General Manager of CATL European Operations, said that the Debrecen plant will incorporate the latest Industry 4.0 technology, and the plant size and energy requirements have been optimized without reducing production capacity. "Production will be closed-loop and the company is placing great emphasis on building and operating an environmental monitoring system," he added.

To reduce water consumption, CATL will operate so-called adiabatic cooling towers and use grey water in the factory, reducing the facility's water demand by about 50 percent, according to the company's March 2024 announcement.

In addition, the event also revealed that the company is currently in its third recruitment campaign and has now exceeded 400 employees. In addition to the increased local recruitment, Chinese specialists will arrive on site in 2025 to install Industry 4.0 manufacturing technology and will be responsible for transferring the know-how needed to operate the machines to local staff.