Mercedes-Benz has opened its first battery recycling plant in Europe , located in Kuppenheim, Germany. This innovative project enables the recycling of used batteries and also ensures the reuse of up to 96% of the materials, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, which will be used in the production of new batteries for electric vehicles.
Operation of the recycling plant
The plant uses an advanced mechanical-hydrometallurgical process that, unlike traditional methods, is more efficient in terms of raw material recovery and also in energy consumption, with processing temperatures not exceeding 80°C. Thanks to this system, the plant is expected to recover enough materials to feed around 50,000 battery modules per year , contributing significantly to the creation of a truly circular economy.
To achieve this high level of efficiency, the plant carries out a multi-stage process. First, the battery modules are crushed to separate materials such as plastics, aluminium, copper and iron. Next, the active materials, known as “black matter”, are extracted, containing valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel. These metals are recovered through a hydrometallurgical process, which uses chemical reactions at low temperatures to separate the components.
This method, in addition to being more efficient in the recovery of raw materials compared to pyrometallurgy, minimises energy consumption and reduces emissions. All this allows recycled materials to be reintegrated into the production of new batteries, thus completing the life cycle of batteries in a more sustainable way.
Advanced recycling with technological support
The project has been supported by Primobius, a key technological partner for Mercedes-Benz. The company, together with several German universities, is also involved in research to improve battery recycling and logistics processes. In addition, the plant is supplied with 100% renewable electricity and its roof has solar panels that generate 350 kilowatts of clean energy.
During the inauguration, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the company’s investment, highlighting the positive impact it will have on both the automotive industry and efforts to achieve the country’s climate goals. This initiative reinforces Germany’s leadership in clean technologies and marks a key milestone in the transition to sustainable electric mobility.
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Source and photos: Mercedes-Benz
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