Battery recycler Accurec officially opens lithium recovery plant in Germany

Accurec Recycling GmbH has inaugurated a new lithium recovery plant in Krefeld, Germany, advancing its plan to significantly expand domestic battery recycling capacity. The facility will recover lithium carbonate as well as nickel-cobalt products on an industrial scale. Accurec aims to raise its current processing capacity from about 4,000 tonnes per year to 20,000 tpa, positioning the plant as a major contributor to Europe’s critical raw materials supply chain. EU Environment Commissioner Jessica Roswall attended the ceremonial launch in early December, praising the project as a strategic asset for the EU. She emphasized that global lithium demand grew 30% last year and that plants like Accurec’s will help the EU secure essential materials while supporting a competitive, resilient economy. Roswall also highlighted the importance of a medium-sized European company taking such a significant technological and industrial step. During the event, Accurec managing director Reiner Sojka explained how the company’s process differs from conventional European battery recycling, which often ends with producing “black mass”—a metal-rich intermediate that is usually shipped to Asia for further extraction. Accurec’s approach tackles this dependency by recovering lithium early in the recycling process, helping close a key gap in Europe’s battery materials supply chain.