Innovative process: Mercedes-Benz opens Europe's first battery recycling plant of its own
South of Karlsruhe, the new heart of European battery recycling is beating: the automotive group Mercedes-Benz opened its first recycling plant in Kuppenheim in October 2024. It is also a novelty because the plant uses an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process.
Too valuable to throw away: lithium, nickel and cobalt are the basis of electromobility – in the traditional linear economy, these raw materials would be disposed of at the end of a battery's life cycle. But hardly any other product is as predestined for the new circular economy as batteries – because after being used in a car, they can not only be reused as electricity storage devices in households or industry, but the raw materials can ultimately be used again to build new cars. But recycling is anything but easy.
The Mercedes-Benz automotive group has taken on the challenge: it is the first automotive manufacturer in the world to build its own factory specialising in the recovery of high-quality battery raw materials. The new factory in Kuppenheim enables an extremely efficient recovery rate of over 96 per cent.
Mechanical hydrometallurgical process
The centrepiece of the new plant is the mechanical hydrometallurgical process, which is particularly resource-efficient and environmentally friendly compared to conventional methods such as pyrometallurgy. The recycling process begins with the mechanical disassembly of the used batteries, during which materials such as plastics, copper, aluminium and iron are separated by type. These materials can then be reused for various industrial applications.
In the next step, the ‘black mass’ is processed. This contains the active electrochemical materials of the battery, in particular the metals lithium, nickel and cobalt. These metals are extracted by means of a multi-stage chemical process and recovered in a purity that meets the requirements for new batteries.
The decision to use a hydrometallurgical process instead of the pyrometallurgy that has been prevalent in Europe up to now has several advantages: the low process temperatures of up to 80 degrees Celsius significantly reduce the plant's energy consumption while also reducing the amount of waste. This means that the process produces fewer emissions and requires less energy than pyrometallurgy, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative.
In addition, the entire plant is operated in a CO₂-neutral manner and is supplied with 100 per cent green electricity. A photovoltaic system with an output of over 350 kilowatts is located on the roof of the 6,800-square-metre factory, which contributes to the plant's own power supply.
In the hydrometallurgical process, metals are recovered in high quality.New technology is scaled up by experienced plant manufacturer
Another interesting aspect of the project is the collaboration with the German metallurgical plant manufacturer SMS and the Australian technology company Neometals. Through the Primobius joint venture, the SMS Group and the Australian company Neometals are combining their respective core competencies in plant engineering and recycling technology in the Mercedes-Benz project: Neometals has pioneered battery recycling with its mechanical-hydrometallurgical process and developed the highly efficient process for recovering valuable metals in high purity. The SMS group is responsible for scaling up the new process to an industrial scale so that it can be operated with high efficiency. SMS is responsible for the development, scaling, design and installation of the recycling plants required for the mechanical and hydrometallurgical recycling processes. SMS will also be responsible for their subsequent operation and maintenance. In the future, Neometals will continue to develop the chemical processes and the technology.
In addition, the project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and is accompanied by a scientific research project with German universities. The aim of these collaborations is to analyse the entire process chain of battery recycling and to develop future-proof concepts for logistics and reuse. The knowledge gained will form the basis for a broader scaling of the battery recycling industry in Germany and Europe.
Advancing the recycling industry, keeping battery value creation in the country
Because batteries account for a significant share of the value added by electric cars, Mercedes-Benz also sees the new recycling plant as part of the company's long-term strategy of strengthening value creation in the field of electric mobility in Germany. In the first phase of operation, the plant in Kuppenheim is expected to achieve a recycling capacity of 2,500 tonnes per year. The raw materials obtained will be used to produce over 50,000 new battery modules for the manufacturer's electric vehicles. In the long term, the production volume could be further increased to meet the demand for recycled materials in the growing electric mobility industry.
Battery recycling is one element of the carmaker's circular economy strategy. With its ‘Design for Circularity’ approach, the company is already integrating aspects of recycling and sustainability into the development of new batteries. The concepts are devised at the new eCampus in Stuttgart, among other places. In addition, the manufacturer provides recycled batteries as spare parts for its electric vehicles and, together with its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Energy, has developed a model for stationary storage solutions in which old batteries are given a ‘second life’. This second-life concept is another key step towards a circular economy.
Conclusion: The recovery and reuse of valuable raw materials not only reduces dependence on primary materials, but also the ecological footprint of battery production. The model project in Kuppenheim could show the automotive industry ways to combine industrial efficiency and sustainability.
