The circular economy could be a solution to growing water and energy consumption and the excessive amount of waste going with it, János Áder, the former president, said on Tuesday. Speaking at a vocational centre in Esztergom, in northern Hungary, Áder said the next generation will be marked by a population boom, adding that water consumption was expected to double and energy consumption to triple as a result, so infrastructure must be improved at a time when resources are dwindling. In connection with the battery plant planned in Debrecen, in eastern Hungary, Áder said it will not impact regional water consumption, even if it comes to 38,000 cubic meters, the demand calculated “by the most radical analysts”. Áder said the plant would use grey water, largely for cooling. Battery manufacturing is subject to stringent regulation, preventing harmful substances from making it into the soil, water or air, Áder said.