The plant will be located in Kupenheim, southern Germany, and is expected to have a recovery rate of more than 96% while being a carbon-neutral facility.
"Mercedes-Benz has opened Europe's first battery recycling plant using an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process, reports Euronews.
The plant will be located in Kupenheim, southern Germany, and is expected to have a recovery rate of more than 96%, while being a carbon-neutral facility. This means that the factory balances the amount of carbon it offsets or absorbs with the amount of carbon it produces.
The automaker has also made the move in an effort to significantly reduce the amount of primary mineral resources used for batteries.
The factory will do everything from crushing the battery modules to processing and drying the active battery materials. It will also separate, sort and process copper, plastic, iron and aluminium.
The output from the recycling facility is expected to be sufficient to produce more than 50,000 new battery modules per year.
The battery metals, such as nickel, lithium and cobalt, will be recovered and then reused in the batteries for the upcoming all-electric vehicles the company produces.
Ola Kelenius, CEO, said:
"Mercedes-Benz has set itself the goal of creating the most desirable cars in a sustainable way. As a pioneer in the automotive industry, Europe's first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical battery recycling plant marks a key milestone towards increasing the sustainability of raw materials.
"Together with our partners from industry and science, we are sending a strong signal of innovative strength for sustainable electric mobility and value creation in Germany and Europe."
"The future of cars is electric, and batteries are an essential component of it. To produce batteries in a resource-friendly and sustainable way, recycling is also key," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
"The circular economy is a driver of growth and at the same time an essential element for achieving our climate goals! I congratulate Mercedes-Benz for the courage and foresight it has demonstrated with this investment in Kuppenheim. Germany remains a cutting-edge market for new and innovative technologies," the Chancellor added.
Mercedes-Benz CEO pushes for EU tariff on Chinese EVs to be delayed
Kellenious recently called on the EU to postpone its planned tariff on Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports into the bloc, citing the need for free trade instead of more trade barriers. He warned that tariffs would hurt the EU's competitiveness on the world stage and in turn damage its long-term economic prospects.
Instead, the executive said, a mutually beneficial solution that would require the EU to continue discussions with China and renew attempts at de-escalation could work better for the bloc.
The EU recently proposed higher tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China amid growing allegations that Chinese EV makers are subsidised by the government. This in turn allows them to sell their cars at lower prices in the EU, undercutting European carmakers.
Other German car manufacturers as well as the German government have also spoken out against the tariffs, highlighting fears of a more serious trade war. This is particularly important as China has already hit back at the EU with investigations into EU imports of brandy, pork and dairy products. | BGNES
