An accident reportedly occurred during the night leading into Saturday at the Debrecen cathode factory of South Korean company EcoPro. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene, but the disaster management authority stated that no intervention was required.
EcoPro informed 444.hu that a lithium-containing material had leaked from the system. The plant had to be evacuated after the fire alarm was triggered, although no fire broke out. During the evacuation, one employee was injured, and the disaster management units arrived on site.
EcoPro issued the following statement regarding the incident:
“On the night of October 11, 2025, due to a technological malfunction at the EcoPro BM Hungary Zrt. site, approximately 60 kg of material leaked from one of the lithium receiving funnels out of a total 120 kg load of lithium hydroxide. The leakage was caused by the rupture of a flexible pipe section due to internal overpressure.
It is important to emphasize that lithium hydroxide in this form is not classified as a hazardous substance, so the case does not fall under the Seveso Directive. The company holds all required regulatory permits, and the above process was not part of test production, but merely its preliminary technological preparation.
The fire alarm system was triggered by dust. Internal fire safety patrols, based on camera footage, mistook the resulting white dust for smoke. In accordance with protocol, the company’s own fire brigade was alerted. Due to the automatic alarm transmission, city firefighters and the disaster management authority also arrived on site.
Before the arrival of external units, the company’s own fire brigade had already determined that no fire had occurred, and the emission was purely the result of a technical malfunction. Upon the arrival of external teams, safety data sheets and all necessary measures were available and implemented. The facility’s fire hydrant network was fully operational.
During the mandatory evacuation triggered by the fire alarm, one employee suffered a minor injury with scissors while removing protective gear. The person received immediate professional care, with paramedics arriving within minutes, and the occupational physician was also informed.
The cleanup of the lithium hydroxide dust within the plant area was completed within a few hours. The building is now completely safe in all respects. No material was released into the environment as a result of the incident.”
The Debrecen plant is EcoPro’s first factory outside South Korea, designed to produce around 108,000 tons of cathode material annually for the European market — enough for approximately 1.3 million electric vehicle batteries. Some of the products are expected to be supplied to Samsung SDI, with which EcoPro signed a five-year, 34-billion-dollar contract in 2023. The company previously drew criticism after it was revealed that some of its engineers were working in buildings without running water.
Questions from the Mikepércs Mothers for the Environment Association to the disaster management authority
The Mikepércs Mothers for the Environment Association (MIAKÖ) has submitted a freedom of information request and a public-interest report to Colonel Károly Gerebenics, head of the county disaster management directorate.
Dear Director,
The Mikepércs Mothers for the Environment Association (hereinafter: the Association) submits this freedom of information request to the Hajdú-Bihar County Disaster Management Directorate (hereinafter: the Authority). The request is based on the provisions of Act CXII of 2011 on the Right of Informational Self-Determination and Freedom of Information, as well as on the Act LIII of 1995 on the General Rules of Environmental Protection, Government Decree 311/2005 (XII.25.) on Public Access to Environmental Information, and the Aarhus Convention (Act LXXXI of 2001).
The Association requests the following data and documents:
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Details of the suspected accident that occurred in EcoPro BM Hungary Zrt.’s Debrecen plant (in the Southern Industrial Park) in the early hours of October 11, 2025 (around 1:48 a.m.), including:
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The name and quantity of the leaked hazardous substance;
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The number of endangered, injured, or treated employees;
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The consequences of the accident and involvement of partner authorities;
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The method and circumstances of decontamination, including possible accidents involving cleanup personnel and their number;
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The availability or absence of fire water;
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How and when the disaster management authority was notified;
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The decontamination method, the destination of the contaminated material or water used for cleanup, and which entity is responsible for further actions;
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The exact building where the incident took place;
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Which authorities were informed;
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And what data confirms that residents in the surrounding area were or are not in danger.
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Details about EcoPro’s permits:
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What licenses the EcoPro cathode plant holds;
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Under what conditions and when test operations began;
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Whether all required permits and safety measures are in place;
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Whether communication and alarm systems with disaster management are operational;
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Whether fire water is available.
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External emergency plan:
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Whether such a plan exists, and if not, how the disaster management authority intends to handle potential future incidents;
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When the external emergency plan for EcoPro is expected to be completed.
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Public-interest report:
If the disaster management authority has no knowledge of the incident, please treat this as a public-interest report and investigate the following:
According to the Association’s information, in the early hours of October 11, 2025 (around 1:48 a.m.), during test operation at the EcoPro BM Hungary Zrt. plant in Debrecen’s Southern Industrial Park, a bag containing lithium-based powder burst due to overpressure, as a necessary replacement had not been carried out in time. Approximately 50 square meters were contaminated by the leaked material.
An expert was called to the scene, who — wearing protective clothing — inspected the area and began cleanup of the hazardous substance. After finishing, the expert reportedly cut himself, requiring medical assistance. The Association also learned that no fire water was available and that Hungarian workers were sent home to prevent information about the leak from spreading.
More details can be found in the Association’s Facebook post.
