ALBAWABA - Mercedes-Benz opened its first battery recycling facility in Kuppenheim, Germany, on Monday, marking a major advancement in the company's efforts to produce electric vehicles (EVs) in a sustainable manner.
The new plant, which uses an advanced "integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical" recycling process, would recover more than 96% of the important metals and minerals from EV batteries, including nickel, cobalt, and lithium, according to Arstechnica.
The strategic relevance of the project was highlighted by Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group, stating "Europe's first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical battery recycling factory marks a key milestone toward enhancing raw-materials sustainability."
This step contributes to a more robust and moral supply chain for vital battery components and is part of Mercedes-Benz's larger goal of producing appealing automobiles in a sustainable manner.
Battery modules are first broken up and metals like copper, aluminum, and iron are separated from plastics as part of the recycling process. To recover vital minerals for repurposing in new batteries, the residual “black mass,” which contains the active components from battery electrodes, goes through hydrometallurgical processing.
Operating at lower temperatures and using only renewable energy from solar panels, this method uses a lot less energy than standard pyrometallurgy, as noted by Electrek.
With its current modest 2,500-ton yearly recycling capability, the Kuppenheim factory can provide enough raw materials for 50,000 new battery modules. Mercedes-Benz intends to increase capacity in the years to come as the firm improves the recycling technology, despite the initial low volumes.
Automakers worldwide are realizing the necessity of battery recycling in “closing the loop” of the EV manufacturing cycle. Ford, Volvo, and General Motors recycle batteries using Redwood Materials in the US, as the automobile industry's electrification is driving need for robust, ethical, and ecologically sustainable solutions.
