'Made in Germany': Battery recycler cylib to scale strategic critical raw material production for Europe
Battery recycling is critical to Europe’s supply of strategic critical raw materials for resilient battery infrastructure
Sustainable end-to-end battery recycling firmcylib today breaks ground on its first European industrial plant located at Currenta’s Chempark Dormagen in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. One year after the commissioning of its pilot line in Aachen, cylib is marking the start of its industrial scaling with the groundbreaking ceremony, which was attended by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister-President Hendrik Wüst.
Industrial scaling for a European circular economy
As part of the recent financing round - the largest in European battery recycling to date - cylib acquired a brownfield site, in a chemical park managed by Currenta, with a usable area of around 236,000 square ft (22,000 m2). The industrial site will enter operation in 2026 with an annual recycling capacity of around 30,000 tons of end-of-life batteries. Initially, the plant will create around 170 jobs in the region. Commenting on the expansion, Tim Hartmann, CEO of Currenta, adds: "Our goal is to become Europe’s leading sustainable chemical park. The new industrial move in battery recycling and our shared commitment to the Dormagen ecosystem perfectly align with our strategy". With the reintroduction of sustainably recovered secondary raw materials, cylib is creating a circular battery economy and more resilient European supply chains. "Battery recycling is pioneering the circular economy, proving that economic success is compatible with reduced environmental impact," adds CEO and co-founder of cylib Dr Lilian Schwich. This proprietary process facilitates local, resource-efficient production of sustainable raw materials in North Rhine-Westphalia.
cylib’s proprietary process sets the global benchmark for battery recycling sustainability by recovering all elements from lithium-ion batteries -implementing a water-based lithium and graphite recovery, including production scrap and black mass, reducing the environmental footprint (GHG-potential) by 30% compared to conventional methods. The new plant will serve clients from the automotive, battery manufacturing and chemical industries. The domestic and resource-friendly production of sustainable battery materials in Germany closes the loop in the circular value chain.
cylib's industrial plant will strengthen Europe’s battery infrastructure
The ‘Critical Raw Materials Act’ (CRMA) aims to secure Europe’s economic resilience and geostrategic autonomy through a reliable, circular, and sustainable supply of raw materials. To ensure this, the regulation defined a list of 34 critical raw materials, of which 17 are considered strategically critical for the EU economy due to high supply risks and geostrategic import dependencies. cylib plays a significant role in being able to ‘urban-mine’ and supply seven of these strategically critical raw materials – lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, and copper – domestically in the EU.
The EU also mandates stringent regulations to battery manufacturers to integrate minimum percentages of recycled materials into their new batteries. Moreover, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates that all battery manufacturers, distributors, and owners are wholly responsible for the collection, recycling, and disposal of end-of-life batteries. This obligation requires them to partner with a reliable, high-volume battery recycler to handle their battery waste with the most sustainable methods.
cylib’s sustainable battery recycling service provides a reliable solution for companies along the entire battery value chain to meet these regulatory requirements. “cylib reaching industrial scale production will be a key driver in building a robust European battery infrastructure,” says Dr Lilian Schwich, CEO and Co-Founder of cylib.
Strategic location with optimal conditions in North Rhine-Westphalia
Historically a coal mining location today and recognized as one of Germany's most relevant chemical ecosystems, North Rhine-Westphalia is now bringing itself into focus for the battery industry. "Successful industrial transformation becomes tangible where the green energy transition thrives by shifting from linear to circular processes. For decades, coal and oil have fueled society, however the time has come for a new industrial revolution centered around sustainable and circular resources. Lithium-ion battery recycling represents just this," emphasizes Dr Lilian Schwich, CEO and Co-Founder of cylib.
The strategic location within an established chemical park offers ideal conditions ensuring cylib’s industrial expansion and commercialization, with chemical park operator Currenta’s pre-existing supply chains, chemical infrastructure, and ancillary services on-site. Between Dusseldorf and Cologne, this also provides efficient connection and logistics across European supply chains with close proximity to major rail, air, road and waterways. “The existing chemical infrastructure at Chempark offers cylib significant advantages in terms of speed on our path to large-scale industrialization,” notes Paul Sabarny, CTO and Co-Founder of cylib. “We will leverage the potential of the ecosystem at Chempark Dormagen to make our sustainable products globally accessible,” adds Dr Gideon Schwich, COO and Co-Founder of cylib.
cylib’s industrial expansion represents a significant step forward for the European circular economy and its industrial and economic resilience.
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