Fortum to recycle EV batteries in Germany

The Fortum Battery Recycling business unit of Finland-based energy firm Fortum says it has received an environmental permit from a state agency in Germany to start electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling operations in Kirchardt. That city is in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.

“We are excited to start our operations in Germany and to bring our superior battery recycling technology to the heart of the European automotive market,” says Tero Holländer of Fortum Battery Recycling.

“Our new Germany-based recycling hub for ‘end-of-life’ lithium-ion batteries and battery production [scrap] materials will be connected to our brand-new hydrometallurgical recycling facility in Harjavalta, Finland, which is also starting commercial operations in just a few weeks,” adds Holländer.

“Our new central European recycling operations give local manufacturers a unique opportunity to connect to the fast-growing Finnish sustainable battery raw materials cluster,” adds the Fortum executive.

Fortum Battery Recycling says it uses a combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle the battery materials. The company says its battery treatment processes have been “optimized for high safety, sustainability and a high recovery rate.”

Fortum says its hydrometallurgical process has a low carbon footprint designed to ensure that more than 95 percent of the metals from the battery's black mass can be recovered. The recovered battery elements – lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel – can be used by battery manufacturers in the production of new batteries, adds the company.

“Our operations cover all the necessary handling and production steps for the highest recycling rates: pre-treatment services, black mass production and hydrometallurgical recovery of metals,” says Frank Stumpf, operations director at the new German facility.

“Our recycling hub in Kirchardt can treat over 3,000 metric tons of batteries per year, and we can offer closed-loop services for the battery and automotive sector in central Europe,” says Stumpf. “The Kirchardt site provides an entry point for customers in central Europe to access the best recycling services Fortum Battery Recycling offers.”

Fortum says its plant in Kirchardt is now in operation and can receive battery or production scrap deliveries. Fortum Battery Recycling also says it is exploring the potential to expand operations to other European regions.