Outrageous: Hungarian battery recycling plant launched trial run despite lacking permits

Despite public outcry and a lack of permits, Slovenian company Andrada began trial operations at its battery recycling facility in Sóskút as early as last summer.

Although the plant has yet to officially launch, internal footage and employee accounts obtained by HVG.hu reveal that Andrada ran its production line for a short period last summer during a trial run—and the process exposed glaring technical issues. The photos show the machinery was already assembled at that time, and the shredding equipment—designed to process battery production waste—was emitting grayish-black dust during operation.

Responding to HVG’s inquiry, the Pest County Government Office confirmed the company did not notify them about conducting a trial run, nor were they formally aware of it. Following the report, inspectors visited the site but found no signs of active operation at the time. Nevertheless, they indicated that more inspections are planned, since Andrada currently holds neither a valid waste management license nor an official site permit for the Sóskút facility.

Black dust covered everything

Although the company previously claimed its technology operates in a fully enclosed system without noise or air pollution, the latest images and reports suggest otherwise. Fine graphite dust was found covering the floor, machinery, and workers’ clothing—implying that the dust filtration system or machinery seals were not functioning properly.

The machine line is supposed to grind and mill battery waste through multiple stages in a hermetically sealed process that ultimately separates the components. But as soon as it was switched on, you could see very fine dust pouring out through the joints, cracks, and even holes, one internal source told HVG. (Photos by a reader can be seen in HVG’s article.)