CATL aims to implement more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient solutions at its Debrecen plant.
To this end, the company has submitted a request to the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office to amend its environmental permit. Thanks to the company’s latest technological developments, less water and energy will be used. By applying new types of cooling towers, the amount of water needed for cooling will be reduced by nearly one-third, and in addition to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) chemistry battery cells, the company also plans to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry batteries.
CATL, the world leader in electric vehicle battery manufacturing and an international market leader in technology innovations based on renewable energy, is building its second European battery plant in Debrecen. As one of the industry’s largest innovators, the company has filed around 49,000 new patent applications over the past five years and continuously develops and optimizes its production technologies.
The Environmental Protection, Nature Conservation, and Waste Management Department of the Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office issued the plant’s integrated environmental permit in 2023, which was subsequently amended twice (in 2023 and 2024). In line with the permits granted, pilot production of modules began in September last year at the Southern Industrial Park, while cell production is scheduled to start by the end of this year.
Less water needed for production
The company has submitted a request to the Government Office to amend its environmental permit. “The aim of the amendment is to implement solutions that are even more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient than previously planned, meaning we will use less water and energy. However, there is no change in our commitment to establishing a strict operational and monitoring system at our Debrecen plant, ensuring full compliance with both Hungarian and European Union environmental regulations,” said Matt Shen, Managing Director of CATL Debrecen.
One of the most important changes is that, in order to reduce water consumption, the company plans to install so-called adiabatic cooling towers. This technology is more efficient and uses less water than traditional cooling towers, reducing the amount of water used for cooling by nearly one-third. Once the associated municipal infrastructure is in place, the facility will use only greywater for cooling, significantly reducing its environmental and water footprint.
The goal is to minimize environmental impacts
“When determining the overall impact area, we pay special attention to continuously refining the methodology used and keeping available environmental data up to date. The calculations fully comply with the relevant legislation, professional standards, and regulations, or in their absence, with general procedural practices. Our approach continues to focus on minimizing environmental impacts, and to this end, we constantly adapt to the latest scientific and regulatory requirements,” added Matt Shen.
Information on point sources—such as their location, technological role, and emission characteristics—has been defined in a more detailed and precise manner. As a result, although the number of registered point sources has increased, the total volume of emitted substances has significantly decreased—by 43 percent—clearly reflecting reduced environmental impact and the success of emission reduction efforts.
Average energy demand of production reduced to one-third
Another significant change is that the company has revised its earlier plans and no longer intends to build its own NMP regeneration facility. Instead, recyclable aqueous NMP generated during production will be transported and regenerated by expert partners with waste recovery permits. This solution remains fully compliant with environmental regulations and ensures responsible, circular management of the material.
CATL also plans a technological shift: in addition to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) chemistry battery cells, production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry batteries will also take place in Debrecen.
Thanks to these modifications and design optimizations, the Debrecen plant will use far less energy: the average specific energy demand of production activities will be reduced by nearly two-thirds. This is the result of several changes. For example, by optimizing the energy efficiency of combustion equipment used in production, the required heat output will decrease, meaning the same technological performance can be achieved with less energy. CATL has also improved its heat recovery systems, enabling more efficient reuse of waste heat within the production line. In addition, furnaces and insulation used in the facility will be more energy-efficient.
All planned modifications demonstrate the company’s commitment to reducing emissions and upholding the principles of sustainability.
