Firefighters were deployed in large numbers to the southern industrial zone of Debrecen on Wednesday evening after an alarm was triggered at the Chinese-owned Semcorp separator foil plant on Jedlik Ányos Street.
According to the Hajdú-Bihar County Disaster Management Directorate’s spokesperson, county fire units arrived at the scene in force after the factory’s fire suppression system was activated. A significant amount of foam covered parts of the facility as the system began operating automatically.
At the time of the incident, 56 employees were working in the plant. All of them evacuated the building as required, and no personal injuries were reported. Firefighters ultimately did not need to intervene directly but secured and inspected the site. Authorities are currently investigating what caused the system to activate.
Company: steam leak triggered the alarm
In an official statement, the company said that at 6:26 p.m. on February 18, a local sensor of the fire detection system triggered the extinguishing equipment, which “immediately started operating as intended.” The building evacuation proceeded according to protocol.
The investigation established that a joint in a pressurized steam system had been damaged, allowing steam to escape. This steam reportedly set off the fire alarm and activated the extinguishing system. The company emphasized that no dangerous or chemical substances were released into the environment.
Debrecen Mayor Papp László also addressed residents, citing information from disaster management authorities. He stated that a damaged technological pipeline had released steam, which in turn activated the fire suppression system. He reiterated that no fire occurred, no one was injured, and no hazardous materials entered the environment.
The mayor stressed the importance of objective and factual communication, urging the public and media not to spread unverified information that could undermine residents’ sense of safety.
Residents question official explanation
Despite the official reassurances, some local residents reported experiencing symptoms near the plant.
Debrecen-based comedian Bruti shared a video saying he lives about three kilometers from the facility. After learning about the situation, he and his partner went to the scene, where he claims they experienced severe coughing, throat irritation, and mild dizziness within minutes.
According to his account, “something must have been released into the air.” He criticized the mayor for what he described as delayed communication, although the city leadership later published a statement online.
Deputy Mayor Barcsa Lajos added that the city’s Environmental Monitoring System detected no excess emissions in the area. Nevertheless, several commenters on the mayor’s social media page called for more precise information, asking what could have caused the reported respiratory irritation.
Background: strategic investment and expansion plans
Semcorp manufactures separator films used in lithium-ion batteries. The Chinese company operates ten factories in China and previously supplied battery plants worldwide from there. The Debrecen facility was established to serve the European market, where demand for battery components continues to grow.
The company has already announced plans to build a second production unit in Debrecen with similar capacity and is examining the possibility of further expansion phases. Potential additional locations under consideration reportedly include Pécs and sites in Germany.
While authorities maintain that Wednesday’s incident involved only steam and posed no environmental risk, questions from some residents indicate that public sensitivity around large-scale battery industry investments in Debrecen remains high. Investigations into the precise cause of the alarm activation are ongoing.
(Debreceni Nap)
