Samsung SDI has decided to make Hungary its Li-ion battery production base in Europe, and will build a new battery plant north of Budapest on a 330,000-square-meter site, using an existing facility that the company built in 2001, and used to make cathode ray tubes.

Aiming to start commercial production in the second half of 2018, Samsung SDI plans to invest around 400 billion won ($358 million) to build production lines with an annual capacity of batteries for 50,000 EVs.

The new plant will provide the company with a production base close to the many European auto factories in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as to SDI Battery Systems, Austria (SDIBS), a battery pack producer that the company acquired last year.

“By launching construction for the plant in Hungary, we now can set up the global triangular production structure for electric vehicle batteries. We can especially provide higher quality services to European customers in Europe by generating synergy with SDIBS.” said Executive VP Jeong SehWoong.

Source: Samsung SDI