Chemetall Lithium receives funding to set up a pilot plant for the recycling of Lithium Ion Batteries

09-22-2009: The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety awarded 5.7 million Euros to Chemetall Lithium, a unit of Rockwood Holdings Inc., to set up a pilot plant for the recycling of lithium ion batteries. “The federal funding is 5.7 million Euros. Chemetall will contribute additional funds so that the total investment will exceed 10 million Euros.” explains Steffen Haber, president of the lithium division.

Chemetall is part of a consortium of companies participating in “LithoRec”, a comprehensive research and development project related to the recycling of lithium ion batteries. As few electric vehicles have entered the market, there is limited knowledge and expertise on the collecting and recycling of large lithium ion batteries. Existing techniques concentrate on the recycling of lithium ion batteries for portable electronics with low recycling rates and little to no recovery of lithium. Currently there is no process for the recycling of automotive batteries for electric cars, especially for the recovery of lithium out of cathode material and electrolytes.

The main target of the “LithoRec” project is the development and approval of recycling technologies for lithium ion batteries for electric cars. The consortium of companies will follow a comprehensive approach following the entire life cycle of a battery, starting with a recycling-friendly battery design through the final recovery of battery materials that can be used in the production of new batteries.

“LithoRec“ aims for high recycling efficiency of large-scale automotive batteries for the automotive industry in Germany and Europe. In addition to ecological considerations, the project aims to secure the supply of battery raw materials like lithium and cobalt.

Project partners: Audi AG, Ingolstadt; Chemetall GmbH, Frankfurt; Electrocycling GmbH, Goslar; Evonik Litarion GmbH, Kamenz; Walch Recycling & Edelmetallhandel GmbH & Co. KG, Baudenbach; H. C. Strack GmbH, Goslar; I+ME ACTIA GmbH, Braunschweig; Recylex GmbH, Goslar; Süd-Chemie AG, Moosburg Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Universität Münster