- The 12,000sqm facility can dismantle 10,000 tonnes of EV battery packs annually.
- Recovered materials include copper, aluminum, plastics, lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt.
- Revolt Ett in Sweden will process 125,000 tonnes of black mass per year.
- The facility was officially opened on August 24 by Hamburg's First Mayor.
Facility Overview
Northvolt and EMR have launched a new electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility in Hamburg, Germany. The 12,000sqm site is designed to handle the discharge and dismantling of approximately 10,000 tonnes of EV battery packs annually, addressing the growing need for battery recycling in Europe.
Recycling Process
The facility's initial step involves dismantling complex EV batteries, with EMR leveraging its 70 years of metal recycling expertise to recover high-quality copper and aluminum. These materials are then reused in manufacturing sustainable technologies, including new EVs.
Further Processing
Recovered battery modules are sent to Northvolt’s facilities for additional recycling. Here, the modules are crushed to extract plastics, aluminum, and copper. The remaining material, known as black mass, is processed at Northvolt's Revolt Ett plant in Sweden to recover battery-grade materials such as lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt.
Capacity and Impact
Revolt Ett will process 125,000 tonnes of black mass annually, meeting about half of Northvolt Ett’s raw material needs for cathode production. This initiative supports a circular supply chain, reducing the dependency on raw material imports and promoting environmental sustainability.
Official Opening
The facility was officially inaugurated on August 24 by Hamburg's First Mayor, Dr. Peter Tschentscher. The site is now operational, receiving battery packs and modules from the European EV market, including recalled units.
