Hamburg – Northvolt and EMR put recycling plant for electric car batteries into operation.
The new facility will play a crucial role in the dismantling of complex traction batteries before the material is further processed or returned to the circular supply chain.
In the 12,000 square meter recycling facility on Halskestrasse in Hamburg Billbrook, around 10,000 tons of battery packs can be unloaded and dismantled each year. The facility is operated and equipped by EMR. Northvolt has taken over the plant and process planning, and the Swedish company has also integrated specially developed battery discharge and dismantling solutions.
Discharging and disassembling battery packs is the first step in the battery recycling process. With over 70 years of experience in the metals recycling industry, EMR uses its expertise and process experience to gently remove the high value copper and aluminum so the material can be reused. The raw materials are required to manufacture battery frames for electric cars in order to make the next generation of electric vehicles sustainable.
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Thereafter, the remaining battery modules recovered from the packs at the facility will be shipped to Northvolt’s manufacturing facilities for recycling. There the modules are shredded to enable the recovery of plastics, aluminum and copper. The remaining material, known as black matter, is processed at the Revolt Ett recycling plant in northern Sweden using Northvolt’s hydromet technology to recover battery materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt.
In the next step, these materials will be transferred to the Northvolt cathode material production, which in turn supports the on-site battery production. Once fully built, Revolt Ett will enable the processing of 125,000 tonnes of black matter per year – enough to meet around half the raw material needs of the cathode production of the first Northvolt Gigafactory, Northvolt Ett in Skelleftea.
At every step of the process, the material recycled by EMR and Northvolt creates a whole new way of sourcing the minerals needed to make batteries – a way that is economically and environmentally more beneficial than traditional mining methods.
The facility on Halsekstrasse in Hamburg-Billbrook was inaugurated today by the First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City, Dr. Peter Tschentscher, officially opened as part of a tour of the company. The traction batteries are supplied by Northvolt with battery packs and modules purchased in Europe. In addition to discarded battery packs of various designs, the facility is also equipped to accept and process recalled battery packs.
With these variable uses, the facility represents a key element in Northvolt’s portfolio of offerings to its automotive customers and other potential partners in need of EV battery recycling solutions and capacities.
dr Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg:
Hamburg’s first recycling plant for e-vehicle batteries is being built in Billbrook.
“The plant from Northvolt and EMR is an important project for the future of e-mobility in Germany. Recycling saves raw materials and protects the Environment. This will give the German automotive industry better prospects for the future. It will become less dependent on the import of rare and expensive raw materials and make progress in terms of the circular economy.”
Emma Nehrenheim, Northvolt’s Chief Environmental Officer, commented:
EMR is a leading global metals recycler and an excellent partner on this project.
“The ability to effectively recycle batteries is critical to making the electric vehicle revolution as sustainable as possible. With the facility in Hamburg, we are ready to recycle large volumes of European batteries and continue our progress towards establishing a circular battery industry.”
Murat Bayram, Director at EMR, said:
Collaborating with one of Europe’s most innovative battery manufacturers has enabled both companies to make significant strides in creating a truly circular EV battery manufacturing supply chain.
“The shared atmosphere of trust and collaboration was essential to the success of the project. EMR’s decades of achievements have been achieved by consistently tackling every challenge – and the climate crisis is no exception. From our CEO to our on-site teams: sustainability, circular economy and protecting the precious resources of the world are at the heart of EMR’s business – as this new facility demonstrates.”
Highlights:
- The battery cell manufacturer Northvolt and the world’s leading metal recycler EMR have set up a battery recycling plant in Hamburg-Billbrook. The facility was inaugurated today by the First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Dr. Peter Tschentscher, officially opened.
- The new facility is intended to recycle traction batteries from electric cars that have reached the end of their useful life.
- It thus offers urgently needed capacity for battery recycling in Europe, as the return of traction batteries is continuously increasing.
Hamburg: Northvolt and EMR put recycling plant for electric car batteries into operation, August 24, 2023
