In order to be able to recycle battery systems from electric cars in the future, the group is laying the foundation stone for a battery recycling plant in Baden-Württemberg. However, the process is time-consuming and complicated.
Mercedes-Benz wants to recycle battery systems from electric cars in the future and is starting to build its own recycling factory in Kuppenheim, Baden-Württemberg. According to the company, the foundation stone for the plant was recently laid. A capacity of 2,500 tons of lithium-ion batteries per year is planned.
Volkswagen has also been testing processes in Salzgitter for two years and wants to aim for annual recycling capacities of 1,500 tons there. “Increased recycling can help to reduce this dependency on critical raw materials and thus strengthen the resilience of the economy,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Environment Minister Thekla Walker at the symbolic laying of the foundation stone in Kuppenheim.
According to a statement, Mercedes wants to start with the recycling process itself in December of this year – in a first step with the dismantling of the batteries. The car manufacturer’s technology partner is the private battery recycler Primobius. In the second step, a so-called hydrometallurgical process is to be used. The battery parts are first crushed while adding water. Valuable raw materials such as nickel and cobalt are then extracted from this mass using acids.
Subject to public approvals, this process should start a few months after the first step, Mercedes said. According to experts, the big task in battery recycling is to automate such processes on a large scale.
