Plant recycling EV batteries

Mercedes-Benz has opened Europe’s first battery recycling plant with an integrated process making it the first marque globally to “close the loop” with its own in-house facility. 

The plant in Kuppenheim, southern Germany, creates a circular economy. Unlike existing processes, the expected recovery rate at the mechanical-hydrometallurgical facility exceeds 96 per cent. 

Valuable and scarce raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt can be recovered, and in a way that’s suitable for use in new batteries for future all-electric Mercedes-Benz cars. 

Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, says the company has invested tens of millions of euros into constructing the plant.

He adds: “Mercedes-Benz has set itself the goal of building the most desirable cars in a sustainable way. 

“As a pioneer in automotive engineering, Europe’s first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical battery recycling factory marks a key milestone towards enhancing raw-materials sustainability. 

“Together with our partners from industry and science, we’re sending a strong signal of innovative strength for sustainable electric mobility and value creation in Germany and Europe.”

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, attended the opening of the recycling plant last month. He says: “The future of the automobile is electric and batteries are an essential component of this. 

“To produce batteries in a resource-conserving and sustainable way, recycling is also key. The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets.

“I congratulate Mercedes-Benz for its courage and foresight shown by this investment in Kuppenheim. Germany remains a cutting-edge market for innovative technologies.”