Battery recycling: processes and challenges
The recycling processes for lithium-ion batteries are technically complex. Three approaches currently dominate:
1. mechanical processing: batteries are crushed to separate metals such as aluminum, copper and iron.
2. pyrometallurgy: The batteries are melted at high temperatures to extract metals such as cobalt and nickel. However, this process is energy-intensive and produces waste.
3. hydrometallurgy: Chemical processes at low temperatures enable higher efficiency and recovery rates.
More and more companies are turning to combinations of mechanical and hydrometallurgical processes, as these offer greater energy efficiency and purity of the recycled materials.
Automotive groups: Recycling as part of the strategy
Mercedes-Benz: Pioneering role in Europe
In October 2024, Mercedes-Benz opened the first battery recycling plant of a car manufacturer in Europe in Kuppenheim. The plant uses a combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical processes to recover battery-grade lithium, nickel and cobalt. With an expected recovery rate of over 96 percent and an annual capacity of 2,500 tons, Mercedes-Benz is setting new standards. The recycled raw materials are to be used for more than 50,000 new battery modules.
Renault: Successful partnership
Renault has been working with Solvay and Veolia since 2020 to create a sustainable source of raw materials for cobalt, nickel and lithium. While Veolia specializes in the dismantling of batteries, Solvay contributes its expertise in chemical extraction. The partnership is currently in the pilot phase in France, but is aimed at industrial scaling.
Stellantis: Recycling based on nuclear technology
The Stellantis Group, which owns brands such as Opel, Fiat and Citroën, founded a joint venture with Orano, a specialist in nuclear materials, in 2023. The aim is to recycle used batteries and production waste in Dunkirk, France. The partners are aiming for a recovery rate of over 90 percent.
Other players: innovation and expansion
In addition to car manufacturers, independent companies are also entering the market:
- BASF operates a prototype plant in Schwarzheide that uses innovative technologies to recover cobalt, lithium and nickel.
- Stena Recycling has opened a plant in Halmstad, Sweden, which recycles up to 10,000 tons of batteries annually and achieves a recovery rate of 95 percent.
- Li-Cycle, a Canadian company, is expanding internationally. Since 2023, it has been operating a plant in Magdeburg that processes 30,000 tons of battery materials per year. In 2024, the company received a loan of USD 475 million from the US Department of Energy to build a recycling plant in Rochester, New York.
Political framework conditions: The need for a battery passport
Despite technological progress, policy-makers still need to act. Although the new EU Battery Regulation of 2023 addresses some of the challenges, such as the recovery of critical raw materials, its practical implementation remains inadequate.
Key challenges:
- Lack of uniform EU-wide standards for the dismantling and recycling of batteries.
- Diverging recycling methods and rates in the member states.
- High demands on the quality of recycled battery materials.
A proposed “battery passport” could provide a remedy by documenting the entire life cycle of batteries and increasing transparency.
Conclusion
Battery recycling is developing into a key sector for electromobility. Car manufacturers, chemical companies and independent recyclers are investing in innovative technologies to drive the circular economy forward. In view of the expected growth and technological advances, the sector remains a promising field - both economically and ecologically. The decisive factor will be how quickly political framework conditions and standardization can be implemented in order to make the transformation sustainable.
