Europe’s greatest battery plant in Debrecen criticized by locals, opposition – UPDATED

Opposition Párbeszéd is proposing a day of debate in parliament dedicated to the government strategy for battery production and the building of battery plants.

Party group leader Tímea Szabó told an online press conference on Tuesday that the day of debate would be an excellent opportunity for the government to “reveal its true colours” on the issue, present its arguments for the building of battery plants, and inform the public about it.

She added that Párbeszéd, as a green party, is firmly against the building of more battery plants. Hungary should instead progress towards the transition to a green economy, she said.

Several local organisations have been protesting against the plan. People spoke out against it on public forums and took part in demonstrations. However, the mayor and the Fidesz majority of the local government would stick to the original plan. According to Helló Vidék, the plant of the Chinese CATL will be Europe’s greatest. Experts say that the legal framework and the environmental protection rules are the same as in Germany. But authorities did not implement them in Hungary, just like that happened in the case of the Samsung manufacturer in Göd, where they did not measure pollution as prescribed.

• Read also: Government official says debate over Debrecen battery factory is not about environmental protection

Debrecen mayor: Chinese battery maker’s Germany plant complies with all regulations

Chinese battery maker CATL is operating its plant in Arnstadt, in central Germany, with maximum compliance with all regulations, the mayor of Debrecen where the company plans to build a plant said after returning from a visit on Tuesday. The Debrecen City Hall cited Laszlo Papp, of ruling Fidesz-KDNP, in a statement as saying that they had not seen any source of danger during the visit. Papp and deputy mayor for economic development Lajos Barcs, also of Fidesz-KDNP, were showed around by CATL director general Jason Chen and European director Matthias Zentgraf in the plant which was opened last week and which uses the same technology as the plant to be built in Debrecen.

Papp said they saw in the Thuringian city a flagship project of European green transition. “The plant represents the highest technological standards of the 21st century,” he said. “We have seen no polluting materials or sources of hazard whatsoever, and the plant operated at maximum compliance with German safety and labour protections requirements,” he said. The Hungarian officials also met Arnstadt Mayor Frank Spilling.

“Europe is clearly building on battery production in terms of the green transition which will determine its future,” the City Hall said citing Papp. “It is no accident that German politicians, including left-wing and green politicians, unanimously view the CATL plant in Arnstadt as a flagship project”, he added.

Read alsoBattery plant construction protested against in Hungary

Source: MTI