What has CATL started at its Debrecen plant in Hungary?

CATL began trial production on the first two cell lines of its Debrecen plant on September 22, 2026. The trial is meant to set up, optimise and validate production equipment and manufacturing processes before series production begins.

When did CATL announce the Debrecen plant?

CATL announced the plant in August 2022 as its second European battery plant, following its German site. Construction of the first cell building began in summer 2023, and the building was equipped by spring 2026.

What does the CATL Debrecen site already produce?

The site has manufactured battery modules since autumn 2024, and CATL says 537,000 modules have been made there. Trial cell production adds cell manufacturing to that operation.

How big will the CATL Debrecen plant be?

CATL says that once all facilities are ready, the plant will be its largest manufacturing base outside China, with 100 GWh of capacity. That figure describes the finished site, while the trial covers the first two production lines. CATL announced an investment of €7.34 billion for the plant in 2022.

Who will the CATL Debrecen plant supply?

CATL says the plant will supply European automakers that have built significant EV production capacity in Hungary. Its 2022 announcement cited proximity to plants run by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen.

What permits did CATL need before starting trial production?

CATL says it received the occupancy permit in August 2026, then obtained the remaining permits and completed the preconditions in its integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit before trial operations began.

What is trial production in a battery plant?

Trial production is the phase in which a plant sets up, optimises and validates its equipment and manufacturing processes. CATL describes it as the step that comes before the start of series production.

What safety findings did Hungarian authorities report at the CATL Debrecen cell building?

Hungarian outlets including Portfolio and Origo reported, citing a ministry statement, that the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office suspended work in three areas of the cell building after CATL reported elevated nickel exposure in nine employees. The areas covered laser cutting of cathode and anode foils, foil winding and cell drying. An on-site inspection found the employer had not supplied adequate protective equipment. CATL says authority representatives confirmed it had resolved the deficiencies identified earlier in the permitting process.

What is the occupancy permit status of the CATL Debrecen cell building?

According to Hungarian reporting, the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office granted the first-phase occupancy permit for the cell building on August 25, 2026. CATL says it received the occupancy permit in August 2026 and completed its IPPC permit preconditions before trial operations started on September 22.

What monitoring applies during the trial and what comes next?

CATL says it will monitor employee health, safety and environmental factors during the trial and submit the results to the authority proactively. It describes series production as the step that follows the validation phase. The trial covers the first two production lines, while 100 GWh is CATL's figure for the finished site.

CATL Debrecen starts trial cell production on two lines

Aerial view of a CATL battery manufacturing plant with rooftop solar panels and solar carports, used as an illustrative image for CATL Debrecen trial production.

CATL Debrecen trial production covers two lines for now, while CATL presents 100 GWh as the capacity of the finished site

(Image courtesy of CATL)

CATL Debrecen began trial production on the first two cell lines of its Hungarian plant on September 22, 2026, after clearing the preconditions attached to its IPPC permit. The move brings cell manufacturing to a site that has made modules since autumn 2024, and the trial is where equipment and processes get validated before the series output CATL says will serve European automakers.

Two lines running at CATL Debrecen

The trial covers the first two production lines of the cell manufacturing facility, which CATL describes as flexible and set up to serve its clients’ needs.

It follows a plant announcement in August 2022, when CATL positioned Debrecen as its second European battery facility after the German site, intended to plug into the European automotive and e-mobility supply chain. Construction of the first cell building began in summer 2023, and the equipment was in place by spring 2026. Location was part of the case from the start, with the 2022 announcement citing proximity to plants run by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen, while the latest release names the customers as European automakers that have built significant EV production capacity in Hungary in recent years.

Permits and inspections before the trial production start

The trial start followed a permitting sequence that began with an occupancy permit in August 2026. CATL says it then obtained the remaining permits and met the preconditions in its integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) permit. The Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office had inspected the site regularly before issuing the occupancy permit, and CATL says officials confirmed it had resolved the deficiencies found earlier in the process.

Around the same time, Hungarian outlets including Portfolio and Origo reported, citing a ministry statement, that the county office had suspended work in three areas of the cell building, covering laser cutting of the cathode and anode foils, foil winding and cell drying, after CATL reported elevated nickel exposure in nine employees. An on-site occupational safety inspection found the employer had not supplied adequate protective equipment, and the office granted the first-phase occupancy permit for the cell building on August 25.

Module output and planned capacity at CATL Debrecen

Cell trials arrive at a site that is already producing, with CATL reporting 537,000 modules made at CATL Debrecen since autumn 2024. The first two lines are now running, while CATL presents 100 GWh as the capacity of the finished site, against a 2022 investment figure of €7.34 billion.

CATL says it will share monitoring results on employee health, safety and the environment with the authority while the trial runs, and it describes series production as the step that follows validation.

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