Professor Béla Darvas, an ecotoxicologist, summarized in 10 points the potential risks of the CATL battery factory being built in the southern part of Debrecen, in light of the MIAKÖ demonstration on February 1. The article published on Greeninfo outlines the following concerns:
- Water and Energy Demand: The planned energy and water consumption of the CATL factory exceeds Debrecen’s natural resources, which could lead to a drop in the groundwater level, endanger the Nagyerdő, and threaten the drinking water supply.
- Air Pollution and Chemical Spread: The factory’s significant water vapor emissions will increase the humidity of the air, while it could also release N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), a health-hazardous, reprotoxic substance, into the environment.
- Soil and Water Contamination: The water-soluble NMP and lithium salts used in the factory may infiltrate the soil and water network, particularly if the factory connects to the sewer system.
- Explosion Risks and Toxic Fumes: The battery manufacturing process involves explosion-prone technologies that may emit harmful, health-damaging gases (e.g., HF, PFAS).
- Spread of Heavy Metals and Toxic Substances: Heavy metal salts (cobalt, nickel, manganese) used in production processes could pollute the soil in the form of dust and fumes, especially in the event of explosions and fires.
- Health Risks for Workers: NMP is particularly dangerous to women but poses risks to men as well. Long-term exposure can cause heart failure, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Unknown Chemical Risks: Some chemical substances used in manufacturing, identified only by code numbers, have inadequately documented health effects, making it difficult to assess the potential risks.
- Battery Waste Disposal Issues: CATL’s responsibility for disposing of used batteries would create a new explosion-prone and polluting industry in Hungary.
- Questionable Jobs and Economic Benefits: The battery factory is primarily an assembly plant, which does not create high-value-added, innovative jobs for Debrecen residents, while also making the Hungarian economy vulnerable to problems in the German automotive industry.
- Technological and Political Risks: Lithium-ion batteries may soon become obsolete from an environmental and health perspective, and the U.S.-China economic conflicts further increase the political and technological uncertainty surrounding the project.
