Swedish battery maker Northvolt and Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium supplier, have joined forces in a new venture to recyclie the batteries from electric vehicles.
Hydro Volt aims to leverage the advanced Norwegian market for electric vehicles to secure a sustainable feed of battery materials, harnessing recycling synergies between the battery and aluminum industries.
A recycling facility will be established in Fredrikstad, Norway, with operations expected to start in 2021 with a feed of batteries coming from the Norwegian EV market, which is one of the most advanced in the world.
“Northvolt has set a target for 50 percent of our raw material in 2030 coming from recycled batteries. The partnership with Hydro is an important piece of the puzzle to secure an external feed of material before our own batteries begin returning back to us,” said Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environmental Officer responsible for the Revolt recycling business unit at Northvolt.
The partnership between Hydro and Northvolt is an example of the emerging potential for synergies between different industries as the European economy becomes more circular and decarbonized.
“We are excited about the opportunities this represents. Hydro Volt can handle aluminium from end-of-life batteries as part of our total metal value chain, contribute to the circular economy and at the same time lessen the climate footprint from the metal we supply,” said Arvid Moss, Executive Vice President for Energy and Corporate Development at Hydro.
The recycling hub, which will be highly automated and designed for crushing and sorting batteries, will process more than 8000 tons of batteries in the early stages of the launch, with capacity being expanded over time.
Fuente: www.clustercollaboration.eu