South Korean battery cathode materials and precursors producer, EcoPro BM Company, has announced that it has begun upgrading its cathode plant in Debrecen, Hungary, to produce high-nickel cathodes for an unnamed German luxury electric vehicle manufacturer.

The Debrecen facility has three production lines with a combined annual production capacity of 54,000 tons of battery cathode materials per year, enough to power 600,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The plant’s Line 1 began commercial operations in June, while Line 2 is scheduled to come on stream in September.

The company confirmed during an investor conference that it is investing an additional KRW 40 billion (US$ 29 million) in the plant to convert a nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) line to the production of hybrid NCA-manganese cathodes, as it steps up its expansion into the European battery supply chain. The upgraded line is scheduled to begin supplying cathodes to the German client from the fourth quarter of 2027.

EcoPro BM said it expects to produce some 10,000 tons of battery materials at the Debrecen facility this year, rising to 30,000 tons in 2027. The company confirmed that its cathode materials produced in Europe have an ultra-high nickel content in excess of 90%, which it sources mainly from its BNSI nickel smelter joint venture in Indonesia.

EcoPro BM’s CEO, Kim Jang-woo, told reporters: “By leveraging our stable, integrated supply chain, we will deepen our partnerships with European automakers and accelerate overall profitability.”