Mercedes-Benz laid the foundation stone of a sustainable battery recycling factory in Kuppenheim, southern Germany, on Friday. The pilot plant will have an annual capacity of 2,500 tons and will contribute to the production of more than 50,000 battery modules for the new Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles.
Recycled batteries come from test vehicles and starter batteries. Based on the success of the pilot project, production volumes could increase in the medium to long term.
Commissioning of the first stage of the power plant – mechanical dismantling – is scheduled to begin in December this year. After negotiations with the public sector, the pilot plant will be completed a few months later.
The Kuppenheim plant is already CO2-neutral with solar and green electricity. Its construction is financed as part of a scientific research project of the Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection.
“We are sending an important signal of the innovative power in Baden-Württemberg and Germany for sustainable electromobility,” said Jörg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz Board Member for Production and Supply Chain Management.
Thekla Walker, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy in Baden-Württemberg, said she was pleased that Mercedes-Benz was promoting the topic of the circular economy.
“This is particularly important given the limited availability of important raw materials that are in high demand, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel,” she said.
