Key facts
- CATL's battery cell production project in Debrecen, Hungary, has been temporarily suspended.
- The suspension is due to an occupational safety incident involving workers' exposure to nickel.
- The Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office stated that CATL must correct safety deficiencies.
- Regulators are permitting equipment testing to continue at the site.
Construction of a battery cell production project at Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.'s (CATL) plant in Debrecen, Hungary, has been temporarily suspended. The halt follows an occupational safety incident where workers were exposed to nickel. The Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office announced that CATL must rectify safety deficiencies before the facility can begin operations. However, regulators have permitted equipment testing to proceed. CATL announced in 2022 its intention to invest 7.34 billion euros ($8.6 billion) in the 100-gigawatt-hour factory, which is designed to produce battery modules and cells.