Recycler Li-Cycle announced start-up of operations at its first lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Europe.
Located in Magdeburg, Germany, the first main processing line will be followed by a second main line, expected later in 2023. Each main line has capacity to process up to 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery material per year.
An additional 10,000 tonnes of ancillary capacity is planned, making Li-Cycle’s German plant its largest and one of the largest facilities of its kind in Europe.
The Canadian company’s “Generation 3” Spoke technology will process all lithium-ion battery waste, including full electric vehicle battery packs, without the need for discharging, dismantling or thermal processing.
Tim Johnston, co-founder and executive chair of Li-Cycle, said: “This is a great milestone for Li-Cycle as we continue to strengthen our position as a leading global battery recycling and resource recovery company. The new Spoke facility in Germany will serve as an anchor point for Li-Cycle’s expansion in Europe.”
The plant has created some 50 new jobs. It covers more than 20,000 square metres and has around 10,000 square metres of warehousing capacity.
Li-Cycle expects to have annual input processing capacity of up to 81,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery material at its five plants – known as Spokes – in North America and Europe.
The five operating Spokes are in Kingston, Ontario; Rochester, New York; Gilbert, Arizona; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Magdeburg, Germany. It is planning additional facilities in France and Norway.
Li-Cycle said it plans to process the black mass from its Spoke network at its future hub facilities. The Company’s first commercial hub is under construction in Rochester, New York. It is expected to start up later this year and process up to 35,000 tonnes of black mass annually.
In May, commodities company Glencore and Li-Cycle said they were planning to set up a hub in southern Italy to make critical battery materials from recycled batteries. They would include nickel, cobalt and lithium. It is expected to be the largest source of recycled battery-grade lithium in Europe, with an expected 50,000-70,000 tonnes per year of black mass processing capacity.
