Mercedes-Benz Opens Europe’s First Battery Recycling Plant
Mercedes-Benz has set a new milestone by launching Europe’s first battery recycling plant with an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process. This makes Mercedes-Benz the first car manufacturer in the world to close the battery recycling loop with its own in-house facility. Located in Kuppenheim, southern Germany, the recycling plant creates a genuine circular economy with an expected recovery rate of over 96 percent.
The plant is dedicated to recovering valuable and scarce raw materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt in a manner suitable for use in new batteries for future all-electric Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This significant investment in the construction of the recycling plant showcases Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to value creation in Germany.
Technology Partnership and Funding
Mercedes-Benz’s technology partner for the battery recycling plant is Primobius, a joint venture between German plant and mechanical engineering company SMS group and Australian process technology developer Neometals. The project is receiving funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of a scientific research project involving three German universities. This collaboration aims to scale up the battery recycling industry in Germany by looking at the entire process chain, including logistics and reintegration concepts.
Integrated Mechanical-Hydrometallurgical Recycling Concept
The Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant covers all steps from shredding battery modules to processing active battery materials. The mechanical process sorts and separates plastics, copper, aluminium, and iron, while the hydrometallurgical process focuses on extracting valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium from the black mass. These recyclates are of battery quality and suitable for use in new battery cells. Unlike pyrometallurgy, the hydrometallurgical process is less energy-intensive and operates in a net carbon-neutral manner with 100 percent green electricity supply.
Holistic Approach to Battery Value Creation
Mercedes-Benz takes a holistic approach to the circularity of battery systems, focusing on circular design, value retention, and closing the material loop. The company’s Design for Circularity approach considers the entire battery technology value chain to ensure sustainability. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz offers reconditioned batteries as spare parts for electric vehicles and repurposes old batteries for large-scale stationary storage applications through its Mercedes-Benz Energy subsidiary.
