Page 170 - CW E-Magazine (12-11-2024)

News from Abroad

BATTERY CIRCULARITY
Mercedes-Benz opens recycling factory in Germany

to close the battery loop

Mercedes-Benz recently opened a cells. The valuable metals cobalt, nickel
battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, and lithium are extracted individu-
southern Germany, with an integrated ally in a multi-stage chemical process.
mechanical-hydrometallurgical process These recyclates are of battery quality
making it the “first car manufacturer and therefore suitable for use in the
worldwide” to close the battery recyc- production of new battery cells.
ling loop with its in-house facility.
Unlike the pyrometallurgy estab-
Unlike existing established processes, lished in Europe today, the hydro-
the expected recovery rate of the for Economic Affairs and Climate metallurgical process is less intensive in
mechanical-hydrometallurgical recyc- Action as part of a scientific research terms of energy consumption and mate-
ling plant is more than 96%. Valuable project with three German universities. rial waste. Its low process temperatures
and scarce raw materials such as lithium, The project looks at the entire process of up to 80°C mean it consumes less
nickel and cobalt can be recovered – chain for recycling, including logistics energy. In addition, like all Mercedes-
in a way which is suitable for use in and reintegration concepts. Benz production plants, the recycling
new batteries for future all-electric plant operates in a net carbon-neutral
Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The company Integrated mechanical-hydrometal- manner. It is supplied with 100% green
said the “double-digit million-euro lurgical recycling concept electricity. The roof area of the 6,800
investment” underpins its holistic ap- For the first time in Europe, the square-metre building is equipped with
proach to battery circularity and value Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant a photovoltaic system with a peak out-
creation in Germany. covers all steps from shredding battery put of more than 350 kilowatts. The
modules to drying and processing ac- Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant
Mercedes-Benz’s technology partner tive battery materials. The mechanical in Kuppenheim has a capacity of 2,500-tpa.
for the battery recycling factory process sorts and separates plastics, The recovered materials feed into the
is Primobius, a joint venture between copper, aluminium, and iron in a com- production of more than 50,000 battery
German plant and mechanical engi- plex, multi-stage process. The down- modules for new all-electric Mercedes-
neering company SMS group and Aus- stream hydrometallurgical process is Benz models. The knowledge gained
tralian process technology developer dedicated to the so-called black mass. could help scale up production volumes
Neometals. The plant is receiving fund- These are the active materials that in the medium to long term, the
ing from the German Federal Ministry make up the electrodes of the battery company said.

EQUITY INVESTMENT ROUND
LyondellBasell, CPChem among firms investing

in US plastic recycling firm, Alterra

Alterra, a US-based chemical recyc- discarded plastic into raw materials. original building blocks. The company
ling firm, has announced the first clos- Infinity Recycling led the financing has been profitably operating a continu-
ing of its latest equity investment round round via its Circular Plastics Fund. ous, commercial scale plastics circu-
with funding from Infinity Recycling, Alterra also received additional equity larity facility in Akron, Ohio. Mr. Fred
LyondellBasell and Chevron Phillips investments as part of this round from Schmuck, CEO of Alterra, stated, “We
Chemical (CPChem). This investment Finland’s Neste and long-term private are excited to collaborate with our stra-
round will accelerate the commerciali- investor Potenza Capital. Alterra’s tegic partners to scale our technology
sation of Alterra’s advanced recycling thermochemical liquefaction technology and bring effective recycling solutions
technology, designed to transform renews discarded plastic back to its to communities around the world.”

170 Chemical Weekly November 5, 2024

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