CATL’s Hungary Cell Plant Halted After Nickel Exposure Incident

A cell production project at Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.

Ltd.’s battery plant in Hungary has been temporarily suspended following an occupational safety incident involving workers’ exposure to nickel. The Hajdú-Bihar County Government Office said on Monday that CATL must correct safety deficiencies before operations can begin, though regulators are allowing equipment testing to continue.

The Chinese battery maker said in 2022 it would invest 7.34 billion euros ($8.6 billion) in a 100-gigawatt-hour factory in Debrecen designed to produce battery modules and cells.