Towards new greatness
At the joint press conference following the negotiations, Construction Minister János Lázár (right) spoke of Hungary’s largest automotive plant, which would be built thanks to the investment from China. He put the investment sum at 1,200-1,500 billion forints (approx. 2.9-3.6 billion euros) and said that the construction progress was exceeding all expectations. The first BYD models will roll off the production line in Szeged as early as the second half of 2025; by then, the plant will be connected to the motorways and the general road network (M43, highways 5 and 502).
Rail terminal for green transport
The modernisation of the surrounding railway lines is also underway and the capacities of the infrastructure for drinking water and waste water are being systematically adapted. Lázár was confident that Hungary’s car factories would produce ‘at least 1 million cars a year within three years’. As these have to be transported by rail in accordance with EU regulations, a railway terminal will initially be built in the Kiskundorozsma district. The Cegléd-Kiskunfélegyháza railway line will also be completely modernised and the section of line to the south of Szeged will be reconstructed. The government would like to take out a loan of 2.2 billion euros from the EIB for these projects.
The minister estimated the costs for the ultra-modern border crossing at Röszke at around 100 billion forints; Hungary and Serbia want to activate a Chinese loan for this project. The result will be the largest border crossing for road, rail and freight transport. The increasing demand for labour from Vojvodina in Serbia is also being taken into account, as Szeged and the surrounding area cannot meet BYD’s requirements of up to 10,000 employees on their own.
Broad consensus in favour of BYD
Mayor László Botka (centre left) emphasised that the (opposition-led) city of Szeged has been cooperating closely with the government for a year in order to properly prepare for the launch of the BYD plant. There is a broad consensus among local politicians and the population regarding this major investment. During constructive negotiations with the Ministry of Construction, Szeged was able to ensure that no municipal projects were centralised. The city had already successfully realised its projects in the past – whether with funds from the state budget or EU subsidies – and would only involve state companies as consortium partners in an emergency.
