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Expansion plans lead EU Commission to open investigation into Samsung’s Hungary lithium-ion battery plant

An investigation has been opened into Hungary's €108 million ($120 million) pledge to help fund Samsung SDI’s battery cell production expansion plans in Göd (Hungary), the European Commission announced on 14 October.

The Commission is set to investigate whether the financial support was necessary for Samsung to trigger the expansion plans at its existing plant in Göd, which was completed in 2017.

Hungary

samsung sdi

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Lithium-ion

Göd (Hungary)

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E.ON to replace lead-acid for nickel batteries in European substation

Power utility E.ON is replacing lead-acid backup power batteries from a distribution substation in the north west of Hungary with Saft’s nickel cadmium technology.

The pilot project aims to show how Saft’s Uptimax maintenance-free nickel pocket plate batteries can be installed as a direct Plug and Play replacement for time-served lead-acid batteries.

Hungary woos another Asian battery maker

Inzi Controls, a South Korean automotive company, is to build an electric vehicles battery plant in Hungary.

The company will build the plant in the city of Komárom, backed by a HUF1.6 billion (US$5.6 million) grant from Hungary’s government, foreign affairs and trade minister Peter Szijjarto (pictured) confirmed.

SK Innovation ‘building first China battery plant’

SK Innovation has reportedly started building its first battery cells giga plant in China – with the goal of establishing a production “triangle” encompassing China, Korea and Europe.

The South Korea-based company, whose businesses include oil refining and chemicals, told local media it had started preparing the site for the new factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Doosan follows Korean battery firms to Hungary with copper foil plant

The Doosan Corporation has become the latest Korean player beating a path to Hungary to compete for a slice of Europe’s electric vehicle battery components business.

The company is to start building a battery-grade copper foil manufacturing plant in Tatabánya, northwestern Hungary this year— and begin producing 50,000 tons of the material annually from mid-2019.

GS Yuasa to expand lithium business with Hungary plant

Japan-based lead-acid company GS Yuasa is expanding its push into the lithium battery business by building a EUR3.5 million ($4.2m) manufacturing plant in Hungary.

Hungary’s government is backing the project in the city of Miskolcz, in northeastern Hungary, with a non-repayable grant worth around $1.8m. Construction work is set to start next month.

GS Yuasa

Hungary

lithium-ion batteries

Hungarian government

SLI

europe

Korean battery makers line up in Europe

Further evidence of a Korean “land grab” of future European EV markets came last week with SK Innovation's announcement that it plans to invest around KRW1 trillion ($920 million) to build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Hungary and to expand production facilities for EV batteries in South Korea.

The battery maker said it would set aside KRW840 billion for the Hungary plant, which it will start building in February. By 2020, the plant will be capable of producing 7.5GWh of batteries each year.

Energy firm launches storage R&D project for renewables

Hungarian energy firm Alteo is launching a project valued at around HUF 1.1 billion ($4 million) aimed at creating an “innovative” battery-based storage model for “weather-dependent” energy sources.

The project, which is backed by an HUF500 grant from Hungary’s National Research and Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), will focus on developing a system to make it easier to forecast and plan the utilisation of weather-dependent power supplies, Alteo said.

National Research and Development and Innovation Office

Hungary plant to feed 50,000 EVs

Samsung SDI says its new EV battery plant in Hungary will start production in 2018.

The 330,000sq m site in Goed, north of Budapest, is capable of producing batteries for 50,000 electric vehicles annually. Production is due to begin in the second quarter of next year.

Samsung targets European EV battery market with latest move

Battery maker Samsung SDI has begun construction of its lithium-ion plant in Hungary to supply the European electric vehicle market.

The South Korean firm new facility in Hungary will enable it to establish a triangular production structure along with existing plants in Ulsan, Korea and Xian, China.