Stena Recycling to Invest €24.6 M in Swedish Battery Recycling Plant

Swedish recycling company Stena Recycling is planning to invest around €24.6 million in what will be one of Europe’s most advanced battery recycling facilities near its Nordic Recycling Center in Halmstad, Sweden.

The Gothenburg-based company described the project as a “new battery recycling process” and said that UK chemicals company Johnson Matthey would add a process step which would produce “fully refined” materials that can be used in the production of new lithium-ion batteries. Closing the loop and creating new raw materials for batteries from recycling is crucial to achieving a circular raw materials chain.

The batteries will initially be collected via Stena Recycling’s 90 facilities in Sweden, and eventually via other countries where Stena Recycling operates. Initial sorting will take place at these facilities, but most of the recycling will then be done at the new facility in Halmstad. Construction is said to begin in “autumn.” Stena Recycling is part of the Olsson-family-owned Stena conglomerate, which includes the ferry company.

Quoted in a press release issued by the company, Stena Recycling MD Fredrik Pettersson said, “We see a strong growth in the sale of electric vehicles where we need to meet our customers’ needs to dispose of spent batteries in a safe and environmentally sound way. This major investment is part of our strategy to be a leader in the collection and mechanical processing of lithium-ion batteries to establish a circular cycle for batteries.

“We are now responding to market demand. We are proud to offer a circular solution for lithium-ion batteries. It will be a big win for the environment and for the life cycle of the batteries when we recover critical metals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, which are in short supply worldwide.”

The investment will make it possible to recycle 95 percent of a lithium-ion battery, which is the most common battery used in electric vehicles. According to reports, sales of electric vehicles increased by 43% globally in 2020, and the number of lithium-ion batteries used in vehicles is expected to increase almost 10 times over the next 10 years.