EcoPro begins mass production at Hungary factory, eyes EU regulatory tailwinds

EcoPro has launched full-scale mass production of high-nickel cathode materials at its factory in Debrecen, Hungary, marking the facility's first commercial shipment.

The company said Wednesday it held a shipment ceremony at the Hungary factory on June 8, local time, for high-nickel NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum) cathode materials destined for European automotive OEMs. EcoPro BM CEO Choi Moon-ho, Hungary subsidiary head Ha Ju-yong and other executives and staff attended the event.

"Even amid fierce competition in the global market, our top-tier quality and technology have earned recognition, and supply to European premium OEMs is expanding," Choi said. "We are in active discussions with key customers in the European market — the home of eco-friendly future mobility — on additional cooperation, and we are generating tangible order results."

The Debrecen complex spans roughly 440,000 square meters and houses EcoPro BM, which produces cathode materials; EcoPro Innovation, which handles lithium processing; and EcoPro AP, which produces industrial oxygen and nitrogen.

EcoPro BM's annual cathode material production capacity across three lines totals 54,000 tons — enough to supply approximately 600,000 electric vehicles. The EcoPro Innovation unit produces 8,000 tons of lithium hydroxide per year, while the EcoPro AP unit supplies 16,000 cubic meters of oxygen per hour.

Starting with this initial shipment, EcoPro BM plans to gradually scale up output and begin mass production of high-nickel cathode materials for supply to another global automotive OEM before the end of the year.

Beyond NCA, EcoPro plans to build a dedicated NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) line to produce high-nickel NCM cathode materials tailored to European customers. The company also said it will review building a second factory depending on its overall order situation. If completed, a second factory would more than double the Debrecen complex's current production capacity.

The Hungary factory is regarded as a strategic hub for navigating European domestic regulations. As electric vehicle demand rises across the continent, the EU has made the use of EU-produced cathode materials mandatory under frameworks including the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Critical Raw Materials Act.

By bringing the Hungary factory into operation ahead of these regulatory shifts, EcoPro has positioned itself as a stable, regulation-ready supply chain partner in the eyes of major automakers and battery companies operating in the region.

"Building on our preemptively established Hungary production base and solid raw material supply chain, we will maximize the benefits of European regulatory policy and establish ourselves as a competitive cathode material company," Ha said.

Meanwhile, EcoPro is rapidly expanding its global footprint by rallying its affiliates, including EcoPro BM, behind a second-phase investment in Indonesia — the "International Green Industrial Park" (IGIP) project — following its first-phase investment at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).