Chinese battery assembly plant may open in Gödöllő

According to a recent announcement on the Pest County Government Office website,

Hybern Energy Hungary intends to build a battery assembly plant and warehouse on the outskirts of Gödöllő,

adjacent to the access road for the M3 motorway. The investment will be made in a hall that was previously unused and was formerly used by the Sony Corporation. It is now owned by CGL Hungary I Logisztikai Kft.

The company, which was founded by the Chinese Camel Group, intends to assemble and store batteries in an area of approximately 8,500 square metres that has been leased for this purpose. According to documentation published by the environmental protection authority, the site will not be used for battery manufacturing, but rather for the assembly of finished energy storage modules and the storage of necessary components.

"The plant is intended for the assembly of ready-to-use energy storage modules for sale to end users, as well as for the storage of components related to the assembly process, such as Li-ion batteries and necessary materials.

No battery manufacturing will take place at the site.

"The cells for the energy storage modules will be delivered to the site in ready-made, sealed units, and the cells will not be broken down during the process," according to the announcement on the initiation of the environmental procedure.

The environmental impact assessment of the investment is currently underway. The documentation is available to view for 30 days and

the mandatory public hearing will be held by the authority 'without the personal appearance of the parties concerned'.

Comments and questions can be submitted in writing until 15 December.

According to the impact assessment documentation, the plant is planned to use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery cells, which are considered safer than other lithium-ion batteries. The study also addresses safety measures: "If a battery overheats during the technological process, it will be placed in a sand-filled box next to the technological lines and covered with sand."

According to the study's findings, the planned plant's air pollutant emissions comply with air protection requirements and its noise impact does not affect the surrounding residential buildings. With regard to Lake Úrrét, which is located 500–600 metres from the site, the document states:

The planned activity is not expected to impact the wetland located a few hundred metres from the site.

According to the plans, 5.6 million battery cells will be used to assemble 700,000 batteries each year. However, the documentation does not contain any information about where the battery cells will be delivered to the Gödöllő site, nor where the assembled batteries will be sent.

According to the impact assessment document, the planned plant does not require a permit for industrial safety (disaster management). This is because the battery cells to be assembled arrive in sealed units, meaning that the hazardous materials they contain do not need to be tested. The amount of adhesive containing hazardous substances required for bonding the cells is 213,500 kg per year. The maximum storage capacity is 28 tonnes, meaning that the site is not classified as hazardous.