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Fortum Battery Recycling has received an environmental BImSchG-permit from Landratsamt Heilbronn and starts EV battery recycling operations in Kirchardt/Baden-Württemberg, in southern Germany.
Fortum Battery Recycling uses a combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle the battery materials. The technology was developed by Fortum Battery Recycling, and the battery treatment processes have been optimised for high safety, sustainability, and a high recovery rate.
Fortum Battery Recycling’s Harjavalta hydrometallurgical site, to which the Kirchardt recycling hub will be connected, uses the most advanced recycling technology available in Europe. The hydrometallurgical process has a low-carbon footprint and ensures that over 95 % of the valuable metals from the battery's black mass can be recovered. The recovered battery chemicals – lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel – can be used by battery manufacturers in the production of new batteries.
The recycling hub in Kirchardt is now in operation and can receive battery or production scrap deliveries. As the European automotive and battery manufacturing industry faces a rising demand for battery raw materials, Fortum Battery Recycling wants to help by offering low-carbon recycling technologies for local battery manufacturers. Fortum Battery Recycling is exploring the potential to expand operations in other European regions.
Tero Holländer, Head of Business Line, Batteries, Fortum Battery Recycling, tero.hollander [at] fortum.com, tel. +358 40 861 5071
Frank Stumpf, Operations Director, Fortum Battery Recycling, frank.stumpf [at] fortum.com, tel. +49 152 28 44 97 62
Jaakko Savolainen, Commercial Director, Battery Sales, Fortum Battery Recycling, jaakko.savolainen [at] fortum.com, tel. +358 40 501 4836
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Fortum Battery Recycling receives permit to start battery recycling operations in Germany
Fortum Battery Recycling has received an environmental BImSchG-permit from Landratsamt Heilbronn and starts EV battery recycling operations in Kirchardt/Baden-Württemberg
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
“Our new Germany-based recycling hub for ‘end-of-life’ lithium-ion batteries and battery production waste materials will be connected to our brand-new hydrometallurgical recycling facility in Harjavalta
which is also starting commercial operations in just a few weeks
Our new central European recycling operations give local manufacturers a unique opportunity to connect to the fast-growing Finnish sustainable battery raw materials cluster,”
Fortum Battery Recycling uses a combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle the battery materials
The technology was developed by Fortum Battery Recycling
and the battery treatment processes have been optimised for high safety
Fortum Battery Recycling’s Harjavalta hydrometallurgical site
to which the Kirchardt recycling hub will be connected
uses the most advanced recycling technology available in Europe
The hydrometallurgical process has a low-carbon footprint and ensures that over 95 % of the valuable metals from the battery’s black mass can be recovered
manganese and nickel – can be used by battery manufacturers in the production of new batteries
I’m extremely proud of Fortum Battery Recycling’s recycling services
“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
Our recycling hub in Kirchardt can treat over 3,000 tonnes of batteries per year
and we can offer closed-loop services for the battery and automotive sector in central Europe
The Kirchardt site provides an entry point for customers in central Europe to access the best recycling services Fortum Battery Recycling offers,”
The recycling hub in Kirchardt is now in operation and can receive battery or production scrap deliveries. As the European automotive and battery manufacturing industry faces a rising demand for battery raw materials, Fortum Battery Recycling wants to help by offering low-carbon recycling technologies for local battery manufacturers
Fortum Battery Recycling is exploring the potential to expand operations in other European regions
Fortum Battery Recycling receives permit to start battery recycling operations in Germany, March 16, 2023
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Finnish supplier Valmet Automotive has announced battery assembly in Germany
Battery systems are to be assembled in Kirchardt in Baden-Württemberg from 2022
The company already operates two similar plants in Finland
The decision to locate the battery plant in Germany
was made against the backdrop that Valmet Automotive was recently contracted by a German automaker as a Tier 1 supplier for a battery program
in the interests of conserving resources and avoiding unnecessary transport routes
battery production should take place in close proximity to the customer,” Valmet said
Audi would therefore be an obvious choice, as the VW subsidiary operates a large vehicle plant in Neckarsulm. The site in Kirchardt is conveniently located near the A6 between Heilbronn and Sinsheim. As was previously announced, Audi manufactures the e-tron GT at the Böllinger Höfe factory
but an electric model series for the main plant has not yet been announced
The Q6 e-tron based on the PPE is to be built at the main plant in Ingolstadt from 2022
to supply Porsche and Mercedes in the Stuttgart area
Porsche has been working with Dräxlmaier on battery assembly (both for Taycan production in Zuffenhausen and for the PPE-based electric Macan in Leipzig)
And Daimler also announced on Tuesday that in-house assembly of the battery systems for the EQS had begun at the Hedelfinden plant
the company is moving into the area of a former printing plant
The hall with 11,500 square meters of floor space is already in place
and conversion work is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2021
Pre-series production of the highly automated battery manufacturing facility is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2022
“The decision to build our third battery factory in Germany is the next important step to establish Valmet Automotive as a tier-1 system supplier of battery systems and modules,” says Olaf Bongwald
“The Kirchardt site is perfect as it allows us to produce close to some of our important customers
but also to our engineering location and battery test center in Bad Friedrichshall.”
is under construction and production there is scheduled to start in the later half of 2021
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Fortum Battery Recycling has started to examine the feasibility of installing a production facility for sustainable secondary battery materials in the industrial area of Artern
The black mass facility will be Fortum Battery Recycling’s second hub in Central Europe
demonstrating the company’s strong growth path
Fortum Battery Recycling started its first commercial operations in Germany
as the first mechanical processing plant was opened
the company started operating a hydrometallurgical facility in Harjavalta
Finland that is today Europe's largest closed-loop recycling facility.
“We aim to become a remarkable provider of sustainable recycled raw materials for the European battery value chain and want to be closer to our central-European customers
We see a lot of potential in the Artern region and have started to discuss a development plan for the production of black mass with the local authorities,” says Tero Holländer
The industrial area of Artern/Thuringia is located in the middle of Germany
with short distances to the central battery and automobile companies
The regional authorities and stakeholders have been swift and highly professional in the initial talks paving the way for the planning of the settlement
The state of Thuringia aims to cover the entire value chain
from basic and applied research to the production of mobile and stationary batteries
as one of the few German federal states. Thuringia's Minister for Economic Affairs Wolfgang Tiefensee welcomes the plans and confirms the state's support for the planned settlement
He says he is pleased that Fortum's investment project is now taking concrete shape since the first contact with the company in April 2022.
"Thuringia is a major hub for batteries in Germany
which makes recycling technologies and investments in this sector very attractive to us
Fortum brings considerable expertise in the recovery of valuable rare metals from automotive and industrial batteries to the area
This final step in the life cycle of batteries is an important prerequisite for the success of the green transformation of the economy and society"
“We are discussing the potential development plans with Fortum Battery Recycling and are pleased with how the planning advances
The city of Artern would gladly welcome the estimated 70 new jobs that Fortum Battery Recycling’s site could generate at the region”
Fortum Battery Recycling’s operations cover all the necessary treatment and production steps at an industrial scale to achieve the highest recycling rates and provide a closed loop for battery recycling along the entire value chain in Europe: pre-treatment services in Kirchardt
and hydrometallurgical metal recovery in Harjavalta
The central-European growth plans will help to meet battery manufacturers' rising demand for recycled battery materials.
we aim to develop our recycling capacity to handle over 200 000 tonnes of battery waste and aim to open two more hydrometallurgical facilities in Europe and some seven mechanical units producing black mass for the hydrometallurgical sites
We want to help the entire industry produce more sustainable batteries in Europe,” says Holländer.
More information about Fortum Battery Recycling
Fortum is able to offer its services for the collection and processing of end-of-life batteries and production scrap close to central European customers
The hub in Germany can pre-treat over 3,000 tonnes of batteries per year and is connected to the Harjavalta site where the hydrometallurgical process takes place.
The Finnish energy company Fortum has started recycling traction batteries from electric vehicles in Germany
The recycling plant in Finland is also scheduled to start commercial operation in a few weeks
Fortum’s local recycling subsidiary Fortum Battery Recycling has received environmental approval under the Federal Immission Control Act
It will now recycle traction batteries from electric vehicles in Kirchardt (Baden-Württemberg) in southern Germany
The newly opened recycling centre in Kirchardt is already operational and can receive and process batteries or production rejects. The site can handle more than 3,000 tons of batteries per year. Fortum Battery Recycling uses a combination of mechanical and hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle the battery materials
“95 per cent of the valuable metals from the battery’s black mass can be recovered
The German plant will be linked to Fortum’s hydrometallurgical recycling plant in Harjavalta
which is scheduled to begin commercial operation in a few weeks
the black mass obtained in Germany will be processed
and the individual battery raw materials will be chemically separated
The resulting raw materials can be fed back into the battery value chain
“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,” said Tero Holländer
adding: “Our new central European recycling operations give local manufacturers a unique opportunity to connect to the fast-growing Finnish sustainable battery raw materials cluster.” Frank Stumpf
further explained: “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.”
Fortum Battery Recycling is also looking at further expansion opportunities in other European regions
the company is keeping those plans under wraps for now
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