SK tes opens Rotterdam battery recycling facility
New plant aims to process 10,000 tonnes of electric vehicle and recalled battery waste annually.
SK tes has opened a new battery recycling facility in the Netherlands as part of its goal to provide end-of-life reprocessing for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, recalled batteries, and by-products generated in the battery manufacturing process.
The new facility spans 10,000 square metres in Rotterdam, with potential to expand to 40,000 square metres. It is equipped to process up to 10,000 tonnes of material each year, and this capacity would double under the planned expansion.
Thomas Holberg, Chief Operating Office at SK tes, said: “SK tes has worked closely with automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers to understand their needs and ensure we remain at the forefront of recycling technology.
"We have already begun receiving equipment from many of our clients and expect to fill the plant’s capacity swiftly. We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and playing our part in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon future.”
SK tes’ technology recovers raw materials from spent batteries and battery production scrap. Black mass - an intermediate-processed product containing metals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel - is extracted from the batteries. It is then refined and filtered into graphite, cobalt hydroxide, and lithium carbonate and fed back into the battery supply chain.
SK tes aims to both mitigate the growing levels of battery waste, and to meet the demand for raw materials needed in manufacturing more batteries. A 2023 study by McKinsey & Company predicts that demand for lithium-ion batteries in the EU will reach 1.1 TWh by 2030.
Holberg added: “The SK tes Rotterdam Battery Recycling Plant is located in a key logistics hub in Western Europe, and it was developed utilising a combination of SK tes' innovative waste battery recycling technology and environmentally-friendly approach. The opening is a milestone in supporting the sustainability of the battery industry in Europe.”
As Europe’s largest seaport, the Port of Rotterdam offers transportation facilities for SK tes’ operations.
Commenting on the partnership, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, Boudewijn Siemons, said: “The Port aims to play a leading role internationally in the energy transition as well as in the raw materials transition. SK tes’ innovative new facility ticks both boxes and is part of a new industrial landscape, recycling materials that are crucial for the energy transition. We look forward to continuing our good working relationship and hope to see a solid growth of SK tes’ activities in Rotterdam.”
The Rotterdam facility is one of multiple expansion projects for SK tes. The company has plans to expand further in Europe, and has recently completed an EV battery recycling plant in Yancheng, China. It is also developing another recycling operation in Newcastle, Australia later this year.
