EMR/Northvolt EV battery recycling facility to provide ‘much needed capacity’

Electric vehicle battery manufacturer Northvolt and metal recycler EMR have started joint operations at a battery recycling facility in Hamburg. The site

What happened

The site can process 10 000 tonnes of lithium car batteries per year providing ‘much-needed capacity to support the recycling of batteries in Europe,’ the companies declare.

Why it matters

Located in Hamburg’s Billbrook district, the facility was officially opened on 24 August by Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher. He said the plant will play a crucial role for the future of e-mobility in Germany. ‘Recycling saves raw materials, protects the environment and benefits the German automotive industry by reducing the need for importing raw materials. That’s the progress of a truly circular economy.’

The 12 000 m2 site features equipment enabling the discharge and dismantling of some 10 000 tonnes of electric vehicle battery packs per year. The layout and process flow of the facility was carried out by Northvolt.

The discharge and dismantling of the battery packs is the first step in the battery recycling process. With more than 70 years of experience in the metal recycling industry, EMR will use its expertise to recover copper and aluminium from the battery frames. ‘The process will ensure this material can, once again, be used to manufacture sustainable technologies, such as the next generation of electrical vehicles’.

This news brief is based on reporting published by Recycling International on 2023-08-25. The original report is linked below.