The start-up company cylib from Aachen, Germany, has commissioned a pilot plant for the sustainable recycling of batteries – just eleven months after the company was founded. What makes the plant and the new process so special? For the first time, all the raw materials contained in lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium, cobalt or graphite, can be recovered and used, for example, for new batteries.
The global demand for batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems is growing rapidly, and with it the need for recycling. According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI), 100,000 tons of batteries need to be recycled each year in Germany alone. By 2040, recycling capacity is expected to increase to 2.1 million tons per year.
Lilian Schwich, CEO and co-founder of Cylib: "Given the enormous social and industrial demand, our clear goal now is to take the next step in expanding our technology and capacity, and to pursue our mission of creating the living space for a sustainable society through circular resources."
The pilot plant will initially be capable of recycling up to 500 kilograms of batteries per day. The startup plans to increase this volume to several thousand tons per annum over the next few years.
