Worker injured after lithium leak at Hungarian cathode factory
An industrial accident occurred late on Friday night at the South Korean-owned EcoPro cathode factory in Debrecen, the company confirmed in a statement sent to news site 444.hu. According to the statement, a technological malfunction caused lithium hydroxide to be released into the air, but the company claims the leak caused no environmental damage and the plant remains safe to operate.
60 kilograms of lithium hydroxide released
According to the company, on the night of 11 October, about 60 kilograms of lithium hydroxide powder leaked from one of the factory’s lithium intake funnels after overpressure inside the system ruptured a flexible hose. Half of the 120-kilogram charge escaped into the air, triggering the factory’s fire alarm system, which mistook the particle cloud for “smoke caused by dust” and automatically alerted the fire brigade.
The factory’s internal fire protection unit responded immediately. By the time the Debrecen firefighters arrived, it became clear that the incident was not a fire but a technological fault. EcoPro said that during the intervention, safety data sheets were followed, and the fire hydrant system functioned properly.
Worker injured during evacuation
During the mandatory evacuation following the alarm, one employee suffered a minor injury: while removing protective equipment, they cut themselves with scissors. The injured worker received immediate first aid, and paramedics arrived on site within minutes. The company stated that the factory’s occupational physician was also notified.
EcoPro emphasised that lithium hydroxide in this form is not classified as a hazardous material and therefore does not fall under the scope of the EU’s Seveso Directive. The company says it holds all necessary official permits, and the process involved was not part of trial production but only its technological preparation. The leaked material was cleaned up within a few hours, and according to the company, no dangerous substances entered the environment or the city’s air.
High public scrutiny of the plant
The EcoPro factory in Debrecen is the first EcoPro site outside South Korea and is expected to produce around 108,000 tonnes of cathode material annually for the European market — enough for some 1.3 million electric vehicle batteries. By late 2023, the company signed a five-year, USD 34 billion supply contract with Samsung SDI, securing most of the Debrecen plant’s future capacity in advance.
The project previously received support from Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who laid the factory’s foundation stone alongside the South Korean owner. A few months later, however, the company’s founder and CEO was arrested in South Korea on suspicion of economic crimes.
Local concerns and transparency issues
Following news of the accident, the local environmental group Mothers of Mikepércs for the Environment Association also spoke out. They have previously raised concerns about the safety of Debrecen’s battery factories. A photograph they shared was verified as authentic by the Disaster Management Authority. The group has repeatedly urged authorities to make operational data and environmental reports concerning the plant more transparent.
EcoPro’s statement says that all official procedures have now been completed and the plant is “operating in a completely safe condition”. The company has so far not confirmed when trial production will actually begin.