Stena Recycling is investing EUR 25 million in a modern facility to process lithium-ion batteries. The plant will be near Stena’s Nordic Recycling Center in Halmstad in south-west Sweden.
‘We are seeing strong growth in the sale of electric vehicles where we need to meet our customers’ needs to dispose of spent batteries in a safe and environmentally sound way,’ says Fredrik Pettersson, managing director of Stena Recycling Sweden. ‘This major investment is part of our strategy to be a leader in the collection and mechanical processing of lithium-ion batteries to establish a circular cycle for batteries.’
The batteries will initially be collected via Stena’s network of 90 facilities in Sweden and also eventually through the company’s operations across Europe. Sales of electric vehicles climbed 43% globally in 2020 and the number of lithium-ion batteries used in vehicles is expected to increase almost ten times over the next decade, according to Circular Energy Storage Research & Consulting.