Ecopro has become the first domestic secondary battery material company to establish a production base in Europe. With Korean companies such as Samsung SDI and SK On already operating in Europe, there is anticipation that the 'K-battery' value chain can also be established in Europe.

Ecopro announced on the 30th that it held a completion ceremony for the Ecopro Hungary plant in Debrecen, Hungary, on the 28th of last month. The Ecopro Hungary plant is established on a site of approximately 440,000 m2. It houses Ecopro BM, which produces cathode materials, Ecopro Innovation, which processes lithium, and Ecopro AP, which produces industrial oxygen and nitrogen. The cathode material production capacity of the plant is 54,000 tons per year, enough to supply about 600,000 electric vehicles.

Starting next year, Ecopro plans to mass-produce high-nickel ternary cathode materials such as Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum (NCA) and Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) at this plant. The company also plans to expand its production portfolio to include mid- to low-priced products such as Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) according to demand. Ecopro aims to increase the production capacity of the Hungary plant to 108,000 tons annually.

The Ecopro Hungary plant is gaining attention with the implementation of the European Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). This law mandates the establishment of supply chains within Europe for major raw materials, including batteries. With the implementation of the law, not only Korean battery companies operating in the region but also global automakers such as Hyundai Motor and BMW must source cathode materials within Europe, increasing the importance of the Ecopro Hungary plant. Song Ho-jun, CEO of Ecopro, emphasized, “We will establish a European sales corporation within this year in line with the completion of the Hungary plant,” and added, “We will further strengthen our business competitiveness in Europe.”

The completion ceremony on the 28th of last month was attended by Ecopro founder Lee Dong-chae, István Joó, CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency, and Lee Seok-hee, President of SK On. Founder Lee stated in his congratulatory speech, “Thanks to the full and swift support of the Hungarian government, we completed the first European local production base of a Korean cathode material company three years after groundbreaking,” and added, “The completion of the Hungary plant marks a new beginning for Ecopro and Europe to create the future together.”

Popular News