Hungarian Minister files report over asbestos-contaminated boilers

Vilmos Kátai-Németh, the Minister of Social Affairs and Family, has filed a police report against unknown perpetrators regarding the procurement of 400 pellet container boilers. The procurement, intended to reduce natural gas consumption in state and social institutions during the 2022 energy crisis, reportedly cost 10.5 billion forint, with each unit priced at 26 million forint.

The supplier, DriveCell Systems Zrt., provided 200 units believed to be self-manufactured and 200 Chinese-made units. Testing conducted by the University of Miskolc revealed that the Chinese boilers contain asbestos, a toxic substance, and fail to meet environmental, electrical, fire safety, and occupational health standards. Due to these significant deficiencies, the Chinese units were never put into operation.

Reports indicate that no prior assessment was conducted to determine the appropriate placement or required performance capacity for the boilers. The ministry noted that the procurement was initially justified by the energy emergency declared in the summer of 2022.