Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise across Europe, but their lifespan is finite. As more EVs reach the end of their road, Germany is beginning to tap into a new frontier: EV recycling

Meppen

As the number of electric vehicles in Europe rises, Germany is taking steps to develop its EV recycling sector. Companies like Kempers and Rely on Bat in Meppen are leading efforts to recover and resell used parts and batteries, aiming to secure critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. However, while Germany has a large car fleet, only a small fraction is recycled domestically, with many vehicles exported instead.

The largest battery recycling plant in Europe, located in Meppen, processes up to 30,000 tons of batteries annually without state subsidies. Despite this capacity, much of the valuable 'black mass'—a mixture of metals from batteries—is still exported for further processing due to limited facilities in Europe. With EU battery recycling quotas approaching, industry experts question whether targets can be met, but companies are preparing to expand as the volume of used batteries grows.

Germany ramps up EV recycling

EVs are booming, but they don't last forever. Bad news for EV owners, good news for recycling. A new raw materials market will emerge. And it's starting here, near the Dutch border in the German town of Meppen. Automobile recycler Kempers shows how EVs, which are ready for the scrap heap, can still be used. Boss Ayten Kempers explains where things are already heading. We rate the quality of the used parts, then we store, photograph and sell them on the open market, such as the private customers, insurance companies, garages and repair shops. Salvaging vehicles is nothing new, but the customers in Germany are. Other countries already do it, but in Germany the insurance companies are starting to make repairs with used parts, as more spare parts have been on back order since the coronavirus pandemic. The supply of used parts could be much bigger, and not just here. But once again, Germany is a bit different from its neighbors. Unfortunately in Germany, no matter how damaged a vehicle is or how many accidents it's been in, it won't be sent to the recycling plants. Such vehicles are usually exported. In comparison, Germany has 50 million registered cars, but only 300,000 cars are recycled each year, while France has 14 million registered cars, but 1.4 million get recycled. This should not be happening with scrap EVs. Their batteries contain raw materials worth a small fortune. A new company recently began operations next door to unearth these treasures. Rely on that. The brains behind it? Christoph Spandau. He wants to secure scarce raw materials, which the EU Commission has made a priority in Europe. The plant makes a significant contribution to securing raw materials, as we recover very critical raw materials here in an environmentally friendly way that saves resources. This plant will process up to 30,000 tons of batteries from Kempers and from across Germany each year. The components are shredded and the materials are sorted for recycling. The MEPPEN plant is the biggest of its kind in Europe, and it runs entirely without state subsidies. Lithium and cobalt, left behind in a black mass, are supposed to be especially valuable, but the market price says otherwise. Now with copper we have an all-time high of around 10,000 dollars a ton. The black mass is currently worth around 2,500 to 3,000 euros a ton. The cocktail of lithium, cobalt and nickel is not only worth less, the black mass is currently going to Asia or the US, so the recycling is not completed in MEPPEN. The black mass is currently still being exported because we do not yet have sufficient facilities in Germany and Europe to hydrometallurgically process it. The raw materials group Glencore is thinking about converting its zinc plant in Sardinia to process the black mass. Only then would the battery recycling be completed in the EU. Experts say there is huge time pressure, as the EU will soon impose its first battery recycling quotas. For me personally, there's still an unanswered question as to whether these minimum recycling quotas for lithium, nickel and cobalt can really be met from the beginning of the 2030s. Kempers is no longer waiting for the boom. The first signs have already emerged. Because we can process up to 10,000 cars a year here as standard, and we're already noticing that more and more EVs are being steered in our direction. And Christoph Spandau is already receiving several tons in the first few weeks of operation. In addition to batteries from test or accident vehicles and rejects, Rely on Bat also processes other batteries. These are large quantities that come back because everyone knows how many battery-powered devices they have at home. And what we can do is recover all the raw materials here. More than 10,000 tons of used batteries will be able to be temporarily stored here. Sounds like a lot, but a recall campaign for faulty car batteries would push capacity to the limit. That's why this system is really relevant and is currently the biggest system in Europe. But you have to be honest with yourself, it's just a drop in the ocean. A medium-sized company, Rely on Bat, is thinking ahead. As soon as the capacities are no longer sufficient, the plant can be doubled to 60,000 tons of batteries per year. But that's not bad. In five years, 400,000 tons of used batteries are expected from across the EU each year.

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