Mercedes-Benz uses Primobius technology to complete their battery recycling loop
On October 21, 2024, the official inauguration of Europe’s first integrated battery recycling plant took place in Kuppenheim. This recycling plant is an important step in Mercedes-Benz's strategy to recover valuable materials from lithium-ion batteries. With an expected recovery rate of over 90%, the plant represents a milestone for greater sustainability in raw materials.
Primobius, as the technology partner for Mercedes-Benz, is responsible for the planning, equipment, and installation of the two-stage recycling facility. The battery recycling plant specializes in recovering high-purity, low-carbon battery materials, which can be fed back into the supply chain for new batteries.
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We are proud to support Mercedes-Benz in achieving its ambitious goals. Together, we will produce high-quality battery materials that are environmentally friendly and promote resource conservation in electromobility.
The recycling facility employs a mechanical process to sort plastics, copper, aluminum, and iron. This is followed by a hydrometallurgical process that focuses on the "black mass," the main product of the mechanical procedure. Valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese are extracted through a multi-stage chemical process. The quality of the recycled materials meets the requirements for the production of new battery cells.
Ola Källenius (Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG) welcomed the German chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Thekla Walker (Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy Economy of Baden-Württemberg, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and all the attending guests from business and politics.
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The future of the automobile is electric, and batteries are an essential component. To produce batteries in a resource-efficient and sustainable manner, recycling is necessary. The circular economy is a growth engine and a key building block in achieving our climate goals!
With the opening of the battery recycling plant, Mercedes-Benz becomes the first car manufacturer to close the loop on battery materials. In the field of electromobility, reducing the CO2 footprint is a significant step. The plant is expected to produce over 50,000 battery modules for new fully electric models from Mercedes-Benz. The entire project is carried out in collaboration with renowned research institutions such as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Technical Universities of Clausthal and Berlin. The project is also supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
Overall, the Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim represents a significant advancement in the sustainable use of resources and contributes to the creation of a closed loop in electromobility.
The innovative technological approach enables us to recover valuable raw materials with the highest possible purity from batteries. This means that today's batteries will become the sustainable raw material mines of tomorrow.
