Siemens technology will help energy distribution both at BYD’s plant in Szeged and at CATL’s factory unit in Debrecen.
In the second half of 2025, the first car could already roll off the production line of BYD’s plant under construction in Hungary. The giant plant of the Chinese company, which will manufacture fully electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars for European customers, will cover more than 300 hectares near Szeged, where the company has also established a new transformer substation to receive the electrical energy required for operation.
MVM Xpert Zrt. was commissioned to construct the complete 132/24 kVA (kilovolt-ampere) substation connected directly to the high-voltage grid. For the investment, Siemens Zrt. will supply them with the 24-panel medium-voltage switchgear that will provide energy distribution.
Also in 2025, the production of battery cells for electric vehicles will begin at CATL’s plant in Debrecen, with a planned annual production capacity of initially 40 GWh (gigawatt-hours) and later 100 GWh. For the reliable energy distribution of the 60,000-square-meter production hall, Siemens Zrt. will also supply a total of 32 panels of medium-voltage switchgear, commissioned by its partner MVM Xpert Zrt.
The Siemens NXAIR M air-insulated switchgear supplied to the two plants was developed to be particularly suitable, among other things, for meeting the needs of automotive customers. Thanks to their low maintenance requirements, long service life of up to 30 years, and high reliability, they contribute to business continuity by supporting manufacturing processes requiring a high level of operational reliability, while using air, which is completely environmentally neutral, as the insulating medium for sustainable operation.