Andrada Group Receives Key Permit for Battery Recycling Plant in Sóskút
The National Tax and Customs Administration grants the necessary metal trading license, enabling the commencement of operations amid local opposition.
The National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) has issued a crucial permit for the operation of the Andrada Group’s battery recycling facility in Sóskút, Hungary.
This permit allows the investor group, which hails from Slovenia, to legally commence activities related to battery processing.
The application for the metal trading license, which is required under Hungarian law governing metal commerce, was approved shortly before the end of March.
On March 30, a revised list of companies holding metal trading licenses was published on the NAV website, which notably included the name of the Andrada Group, indicating the completion of this last procedural requirement.
The approval was granted by the NAV’s regional office in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, just in time for the plant’s proposed operational start.
Local opposition, however, remains significant.
Residents from surrounding municipalities organized protests against the plant’s establishment, culminating in a torchlit demonstration in Sóskút. Protesters expressed their discontent through chants and banners, demanding that the plant be relocated to other areas, such as Felcsút. Video footage from the demonstrations captured local officials and citizens voicing concerns over the project, highlighting a year-long campaign against the establishment of the factory.
The mayor of Sóskút, József Mészáros, criticized the swift granting of the permit, emphasizing that the local government had not been consulted during the approval process.
The municipality has reportedly pursued legal avenues to contest the decision, signaling ongoing communal resistance to the project.
Andrada Group has previously announced plans to invest approximately 10 billion forints in the battery recycling facility, which aims to generate around 200 jobs in the region.
The Hungarian government has committed to covering a significant portion of this investment, approximately 4.7 billion forints.
The company initially intended to build the plant in a different location, but plans shifted to Sóskút after local opposition emerged during community forums intended to discuss the project.
In related developments, the Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, announced an increase in capacity for the gas pipeline connecting Hungary and Slovakia, citing a 50% increase in gas shipments from Hungary to Slovakia in the first quarter of the year.
This expansion reflects a broader regional effort to ensure energy security in light of recent geopolitical challenges.
This permit allows the investor group, which hails from Slovenia, to legally commence activities related to battery processing.
The application for the metal trading license, which is required under Hungarian law governing metal commerce, was approved shortly before the end of March.
On March 30, a revised list of companies holding metal trading licenses was published on the NAV website, which notably included the name of the Andrada Group, indicating the completion of this last procedural requirement.
The approval was granted by the NAV’s regional office in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, just in time for the plant’s proposed operational start.
Local opposition, however, remains significant.
Residents from surrounding municipalities organized protests against the plant’s establishment, culminating in a torchlit demonstration in Sóskút. Protesters expressed their discontent through chants and banners, demanding that the plant be relocated to other areas, such as Felcsút. Video footage from the demonstrations captured local officials and citizens voicing concerns over the project, highlighting a year-long campaign against the establishment of the factory.
The mayor of Sóskút, József Mészáros, criticized the swift granting of the permit, emphasizing that the local government had not been consulted during the approval process.
The municipality has reportedly pursued legal avenues to contest the decision, signaling ongoing communal resistance to the project.
Andrada Group has previously announced plans to invest approximately 10 billion forints in the battery recycling facility, which aims to generate around 200 jobs in the region.
The Hungarian government has committed to covering a significant portion of this investment, approximately 4.7 billion forints.
The company initially intended to build the plant in a different location, but plans shifted to Sóskút after local opposition emerged during community forums intended to discuss the project.
In related developments, the Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, announced an increase in capacity for the gas pipeline connecting Hungary and Slovakia, citing a 50% increase in gas shipments from Hungary to Slovakia in the first quarter of the year.
This expansion reflects a broader regional effort to ensure energy security in light of recent geopolitical challenges.
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