Hydrovolt, the joint venture between Swedish battery producer Northvolt and Norwegian industrial group Hydro has started the construction of Norway’s first recycling plant for electric vehicle batteries.
The plant which will be 100% powered by renewable energy will be located in the town of Fredrikstad, Norway, and is intended to harness recycling synergies between battery and aluminum industries. Hydro and Northvolt together have invested NOK 120 million in the plant through the joint venture.
“Norway has long been a global leader in electric car adoption. At the start of 2021, we became the first country in the world in which over half of all new cars sold are electric. We should therefore also aim to be world-leading in recycling the used car batteries when the electric cars reach their end-of-life,” said Fredrik Andresen, CEO, Hydrovolt.
According to Hydrovolt, the plant will be extensively automated and designed for crushing and sorting batteries, having an initial plant capacity to process more than 8,000 tonnes of modules from batteries each year. Through a possible expansion, the plan is to also process other types of batteries other than car batteries, including batteries from the marine sector, from all over Europe. The plant is set to start operations in late 2021.
Hydro has also confirmed that Batteriretur, a Norwegian company located next to the new Hydrovolt plant in Fredrikstad, will supply batteries and operate the plant.
The plan is to closely integrate operations with Hydro and Northvolt’s existing businesses. Aluminum from the used batteries will be recycled and reused by Hydro, while the ‘black mass’ containing lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt will either be reused in Northvolt’s battery production or sold to other parties.
“Batteries play a key role in the world’s transition to renewable energy,” said Arvid Moss, Executive Vice President for Energy and Corporate Development in Hydro.
“Through Hydrovolt, we are laying the foundations for a circular supply chain for batteries in Europe.”
By Shraddha Kakade
Asst. Editor, Emerging Technology News