The technology company provided the plant's medium-voltage power distribution systems.
By 2030, an estimated 350 million electric vehicles are expected to be on the roads worldwide, and the rapid growth of e-mobility is driving increasing demand for high-energy-density materials. Against this backdrop, the foundation stone of EcoPro Global Hungary Zrt.'s new manufacturing facility near Debrecen was laid in April last year. With an investment of approximately HUF 280 billion, the company is establishing its first production plant outside South Korea in Hungary, with plans to produce 108,000 tons of cathode materials annually.
These high-nickel cathode materials are essential for manufacturing rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, electrical energy storage systems, uninterruptible power supplies, smart grids, and aviation and medical applications, among others. With this production capacity, EcoPro's Debrecen facility will be able to contribute to the manufacture of batteries for 1.35 million electric vehicles each year.
Siemens Zrt. manufactured and supplied the equipment required for the medium-voltage power distribution system of the facility, which is being built on a site covering approximately 430,000 square meters. The equipment was delivered to EcoPro through Siemens' partner, YI Engineering Kft.
The gas-insulated medium-voltage switchgear, rated at 22 kV and comprising 25 panels with phase-segregated busbars, was equipped with two incoming feeder panels and a busbar sectionalizing panel, allowing additional panels to be integrated for future expansion. The equipment also features protection devices and advanced communication capabilities compliant with relevant standards. To simplify operators' work, the systems were equipped with a Siemens monitoring system and a user-friendly interface.
Siemens has extensive experience in providing power distribution solutions for large-scale manufacturing facilities with demanding reliability requirements. For example, Siemens equipment is also in operation at the Szombathely site of Schaeffler Savaria Kft., which manufactures clutch systems, e-mobility products and a wide range of automotive parts and components.