CATL starts Debrecen module production

CATL said battery module assembly began on May 6 in a newly built facility at its Debrecen, Hungary, site, marking the latest step in the Chinese group's push to localize supply for European carmakers. The company said the new line started after receiving the permits needed for module production. The Debrecen project was announced in 2022 as CATL's second European battery plant after its German site. The new module line has annual capacity of 5 gigawatt-hours, according to CATL statements carried by Hungary Today and industry publication Electrive. CATL has not yet started battery-cell production in Debrecen, but said construction of its first cell factory there is complete and test production will begin once the remaining approvals are in hand. ### When did production in Debrecen actually begin? May 6 is the date CATL gave for the start of module assembly in the newly constructed building next to its cell factory in Debrecen. Hungary Today, citing the company, said the launch followed receipt of all necessary permits for the module line. Autumn 2024 was the earlier start date for module production in Debrecen on a different setup. (hungarytoday.hu) CATL said it had already been making modules on two lines in a rented hall, and that output from that arrangement had reached 240,000 modules, enough to power about 60,000 electric cars in Europe. ### What is operating now, and what is still waiting for permits? (hungarytoday.hu) The 5 GWh module assembly line is now operating in the new building, according to CATL's statements. Electrive reported that the line is a milestone for the Debrecen project, but that the battery cells going into those modules are still being sourced from other CATL factories because cell production in Hungary has not started. (hungarytoday.hu) The first Debrecen cell factory has been physically completed and fitted with production equipment, CATL said. The company said test production of battery cells will begin as soon as the permits required for the start of cell production are secured. ### Which automakers is the Debrecen plant meant to serve? CATL said in August 2022 that the Debrecen plant would supply both cells and modules to European automakers and named Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen as nearby customers. (electrive.com) Mercedes-Benz said at the time that the new plant in Hungary would supply battery cells for its production sites in Germany and Hungary. BMW has its own vehicle and battery-assembly investment in Debrecen. (hungarytoday.hu) BMW said in 2022 it would invest more than 2 billion euros in Plant Debrecen by 2025, including a high-voltage battery assembly facility for its Neue Klasse vehicles. Tesla was mentioned as a customer in some secondary reports, but CATL's 2022 plant announcement cited Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen rather than Tesla. (catl.com) On the basis of the sources reviewed, Tesla's role in Debrecen supply could not be independently confirmed. ### How large is the overall Debrecen investment? CATL said on August 12, 2022 that it would invest 7.34 billion euros to build a 100 GWh battery plant in Debrecen, covering 221 hectares in the city's Southern Industrial Park. (press.bmwgroup.com) The company described the site as its second European battery plant after its German factory. Electrive reported that the first cell-production phase in Debrecen was initially planned at 40 GWh a year, with a later expansion phase intended to lift capacity to 100 GWh. (catl.com) That timeline is tied to regulatory approvals for cell production, which CATL said are still pending. ### What comes next at the Hungary site? The next milestone is test production of battery cells at the completed Debrecen cell factory, which CATL said will begin after the remaining permits are obtained. (catl.com) The module line that started on May 6 is located next to that cell plant in the Southern Industrial Park. BMW said production of Neue Klasse vehicles would start at Plant Debrecen by the end of 2025, and CATL's Hungary project was designed to supply European automakers from a site close to those assembly operations. (electrive.com) CATL has not publicly given a new firm date for commercial cell output in Debrecen beyond saying test production will begin once approvals are granted. (press.bmwgroup.com) (hungarytoday.hu)