Hungary’s battery sector is evolving at a remarkable pace, positioning the country among Europe’s leading destinations for green industrial investment, said Péter Kaderják, Managing Director of the Hungarian Battery Association (HUBA), in an interview ahead of the Hungarian Battery Day 2025. Building on years of energy policy expertise — from heading Hungary’s energy regulator to serving as State Secretary for Energy and Climate Policy — Kaderják now leads the coordination of a growing ecosystem that aims to make Hungary a top-three European player in cell manufacturing and sustainable battery production. “The battery industry supports the green transition, but it must also be sustainable throughout its life cycle,” he stressed, welcoming the creation of a new Battery Industry Market Surveillance Authority to bring coherence to a previously fragmented regulatory landscape.
According to Kaderják, this new authority will play a dual role: ensuring compliance with the EU Battery Regulation adopted in 2023, and creating a stable, predictable business environment for investors. The EU’s unified legal framework — covering production, recycling, and carbon footprint tracking — gives Hungary a clear opportunity to align with best practices while strengthening its national oversight capacity. “The new authority should not only enforce the rules but also help companies navigate a complex regulatory system,” he said. “If it functions professionally and independently, it can enhance both efficiency and public trust in the sector.” The Association sees this as essential to transforming public perceptions that often associate battery factories with risk rather than opportunity.
Founded in 2021, HUBA has grown from 39 to more than 100 members, including global manufacturers like Samsung SDI, SK ON, CATL, and SVolt, as well as local SMEs, research institutes, and major utilities such as MOL, MVM, and MAVIR. The Association’s mission is to promote a high-value-added and circular battery economy — from cell manufacturing to recycling and stationary storage applications. With solar capacity already above 8 GW and one-quarter of Hungary’s power coming from solar, energy storage is now seen as a vital enabler of grid stability. New national tenders and incentive programs could bring total storage capacity to 1,200 MW by 2026, marking one of the fastest energy transitions in Central Europe.
Beyond industrial development, Kaderják underlined the importance of innovation and competence building. HUBA has launched the Hungarian Battery Excellence Award to promote domestic R&D, while a new HUBA Competence Centre — developed in partnership with South Korean institutions — will focus on research, education, and workforce training. Recycling remains another frontier: while Hungary has successful examples such as Jász-Plasztik’s 99% lead-battery recycling, lithium-ion recycling will require new business models and closer alignment with extended producer responsibility. “Our aim is full material circularity — recovering lithium, nickel, and cobalt, and reducing import dependence,” Kaderják said.
Looking ahead, he envisions a more informed and confident national debate around new projects, backed by transparent oversight and stronger local participation. “People will only trust this industry if they see that environmental standards are real and enforced,” he concluded. Over the next three years, HUBA’s priorities include expanding Hungarian ownership within the value chain, launching university-level battery engineering programs, and consolidating the country’s position as a model for sustainable industrial growth in Europe.
Energynomics is a media partner of the Hungarian Battery Day 2025, where Editor in Chief Gabriel Avăcăriței will moderate the panel “Battery production and energy transition in Central and Eastern Europe.”