Stena Recycling has opened its first industrial recycling facility for lithium-ion batteries in southern Sweden. The facility, which represents an investment of SEK 250m ($29m), is one of the first industry-scale battery recycling plants in Europe. It has the capacity to recycle 95% of an electric vehicle battery. Stena Recycling has already secured agreements with industry partners in battery and vehicle production to ensure a high recycling volume. The company expects to handle five to 10 times the current volume within 10 years. The facility received SEK 70.7m in funding from the Swedish Energy Agency.
Today Stena Recycling inaugurated its first industrial recycling facility for lithium-ion batteries, an investment of a quarter of a billion SEK. It is situated in south of Sweden and one of the first industry scale battery recycling facilities in Europe. An advanced recycling process makes it possible to recycle 95 percent of an electric vehicle battery. Agreements are already in place with industry partners within both battery and vehicle production, securing a high recycling volume from the start.
“Coming EU regulation, combined with the increasing electrification of vehicles and other products means that there will be huge pressure to find solutions to recycle vehicle batteries and create circular value chains. This investment will give Stena Recycling a key role in the process of electrifying the automotive industry,” says Marcus Martinsson, Product Area Manager Batteries at Stena Recycling Group.
The new plant has an initial yearly recycling capacity of 10,000 tons and will handle battery material collected and pre-treated in all Stena Recycling’s existing facilities and processes in Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Norway, Germany and in Italy.
“We are prepared to scale up our battery recycling capacity as the market grows. Within ten years we expect to handle at least five to ten times higher volume than what we can handle today,” adds Marcus Martinsson.
In connection to the inauguration, industry experts met to discuss the future of battery recycling and what is needed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
“The electrification of society has only just begun, and we want to boost a circular approach to battery production. Cooperation between industry players will be essential for a successful green transition. We are ready to develop and cultivate our cooperation with the complete value chain from battery producers, equipment manufacturers, to the electric vehicle industry to ensure a circular material flow, meet the demands of the market and regulators, and contribute to a more sustainable future, says Kristofer Sundsgård, President and CEO of Stena Metall Group.
2021 Stena Recycling received SEK 70.7 million in funding from the Swedish Energy Agency towards building the new facility.