EcoPro BM is accelerating efforts to build a European electric-vehicle battery materials supply chain. EcoPro said on Tuesday it held a ceremony for its first shipment of high-nickel NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminium) cathode materials supplied to a European automaker OEM from its plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Key executives including EcoPro BM CEO Moon-ho Choi (최문호) and EcoPro BM Hungary unit head Ju-yong Ha (하주용) attended.

The Debrecen plant in Hungary spans about 440,000 square metres and houses affiliates including EcoPro BM, EcoPro Innovation and EcoPro AP. EcoPro BM's annual cathode production capacity is 54,000 tons across three lines, enough for about 600,000 electric vehicles. EcoPro Innovation supplies 8,000 tons a year of lithium hydroxide, while EcoPro AP supplies 16,000 cubic metres of oxygen per hour.

EU regulations including the European Union-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) are making it mandatory to use cathode materials produced within the region, increasing the strategic value of the Hungary plant. EcoPro also secured stability in sourcing raw materials through an investment in a nickel smelter in Indonesia, the company said.

EcoPro BM plans to start mass production of high-nickel cathode materials to supply another global OEM within this year, beginning with the initial shipment volume. It also plans to build an additional dedicated line for high-nickel NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) in addition to NCA, and it will consider building a second plant depending on orders. If the second plant is completed, production capacity at the Debrecen complex is expected to more than double from the current level.

Choi said at the ceremony, "Even amid intense competition in the global market, we are being recognised for top-level quality and technological capability, and supply is expanding mainly for volumes for European premium OEMs." He added, "We are holding discussions on additional cooperation with key customers targeting the European market, the home of eco-friendly future mobility, and we are also producing visible order results."