EcoPro said on Monday that it has started construction of its first foreign battery factory in Hungary on Friday last week.
EcoPro and affiliates will spend 382.7 billion won to build the factory at Debrecen, which will be completed next year and begin mass production in 2025.
The South Korean battery material company said it is aiming for an annual capacity of 108,000 metric tonnes, enough to supply batteries for 1.35 million units of electric cars.
The factory in Hungary will use dead batteries to produce cathode and supply them to battery cell makers.
EcoPro is collaborating with SK Ecoplant, an affiliate of battery maker SK On, and TES, a subsidiary of SK Ecoplant, for this venture. TES specializes in collecting and recycling dead batteries.
Dead batteries from SK On’s factories in Komarom and Ivancsa, Hungary will be delivered to EcoPro’s cathode factory.