Mercedes-Benz building a battery recycling plant in Germany with an annual capacity of 2,500 tons

Mercedes-Benz has begun construction of a sustainable battery recycling factory in Kuppenheim, southern Germany. The pilot plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 2500 tonnes and will contribute to the production of more than 50,000 battery modules for new electric Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The foundation stone for the factory was laid on Friday, and the first stage of the plant's commissioning, mechanical dismantling, is scheduled to begin in December this year. The recycled batteries will come from test vehicles and start-up batteries.

The Kuppenheim plant already runs a CO2-neutral operation with solar and green electricity, and its construction is being funded as part of a scientific research project by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.

Jörg Burzer, management board member of Mercedes-Benz in production and supply chain management, said that the factory's construction sent "an important signal of innovative strength in Baden-Württemberg and Germany for sustainable electromobility." Thekla Walker, minister for the environment, climate and energy in Baden-Württemberg, praised Mercedes-Benz for promoting the topic of the circular economy, particularly in light of the limited availability of important raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

Subject to talks with the public sector, the pilot factory will be completed a few months after the first stage's commissioning. The success of the pilot will determine whether production volumes will be scaled up in the medium to long term.

Source: Mercedes-Benz