Finland – Fortum Battery Recycling’s hydrometallurgical battery material recycling facility in Harjavalta, Finland, has commenced commercial operations.
The recently built facility is the first hydrometallurgical recycling commercial-scale facility in Europe and the largest recycling plant in Europe in terms of recycling capacity. The new large-scale plant will significantly ease the rising demand for sustainable battery materials from European battery producers, assisting in lowering Europe’s reliance on imported crucial battery raw materials.
The recycling process used by Fortum creates secondary metals for brand-new lithium-ion batteries on an industrial scale while recovering essential metals from used lithium-ion batteries and production waste. Fortum is pleased to report that the nickel and cobalt sulphates produced by the plant meet client requirements. The hydrometallurgical facility in Harjavalta is built to the greatest environmental and human safety requirements, with a focus on minimal carbon emissions and high recycling productivity.
Highest recycling rates
With pre-treatment services in Kirchardt, Germany, mechanical processes in Ikaalinen, and hydrometallurgical metal recovery in Harjavalta, Fortum Battery Recycling’s operations cover all the necessary treatment and production steps to achieve the highest recycling rates and provide a closed loop for battery recycling along the entire value chain in Europe. 80% of a battery may be recycled by combining Fortum’s mechanical and hydrometallurgical techniques. In Tornio, Fortum Battery Recycling is also utilizing industrial side-streams to recover essential battery components using a cutting-edge hydrometallurgical process that yields a nickel intermediate product.
Battery consumption is increasing along with e-mobility, which in turn is driving up demand for essential raw materials. Recycling is a crucial component of the future to satisfy this need and promote decarbonization. Fortum Battery Recycling is constantly looking into ways to expand operations to other European regions in order to meet the demands of the sector.
