Mercedes-Benz relies on Primobius while launching sustainable battery recycling

On 3 March 2023, Mercedes-Benz AG laid the foundation stone for its battery recycling factory in Kuppenheim. Primobius, joint-venture of German plant manufacturer SMS and mining company Neometals, expressed its pride in being a technology partner in this important project and in helping to close the recycling loop and reduce resource consumption in the field of electromobility.

Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Production & Supply Chain Management, welcomed the guests and informed them about the project. The guests also included Horst Krenn (Managing Director of Primobius) and Prof. Hans Ferkel (Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Primobius and CTO of SMS group) as well as Merrill Gray (Head of Recycling) from our JV partner Neometals.

Jörg Burzer: "Mercedes-Benz pursues a clear goal with regard to resource conservation: maximum recycling management for all raw materials used. Sustainable battery recycling is an essential factor in this. With our new recycling plant at the Kuppenheim site, we are consistently expanding our own competencies in the area of battery value creation."

Horst Krenn, Managing Director of Primobius, said: "The direct integration of hydrometallurgy into the overall concept of a recycling plant is the decisive step for sustainable battery recycling, in which the recovered materials can be optimally reused for the production of new cells. Throughout Europe, Mercedes-Benz will be the first car manufacturer to operate its own recycling plant with hydrometallurgical processing.

The introduction of a circular economy can significantly improve the CO2 balance of lithum-ion batteries in the future and helps to reach the 'CO2 break-even point' of electric vehicles faster. We are proud to be one of the first to realise a resource-saving recycling technology in the heart of Europe. The joint project with Mercedes-Benz shows that our two-stage recycling process and in particular the high recovery rates of hydrometallurgy already meet the needs of the industry today."

Source and Photo: SMS Group