Mercedes-Benz Opens Recycling Plant in Kuppenheim Germany

New Kuppenheim, recycling plant, recovering over 96% of lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The production facility of over 50,000 battery modules for new electric vehicles.

Kuppenheim, Germany- Mercedes-Benz Group AG., a German multinational automotive company, has opened Europe’s first battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, Germany, This innovative plant utilizes a mechanical-hydrometallurgical process, achieving an impressive recovery rate of over 96%. It enables the recovery of valuable raw materials like lithium, nickel, and cobalt for reuse in future electric vehicle batteries. The investment of tens of millions of euros underscores Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to creating a circular economy and reducing reliance on primary resources in Germany.

Mr. Ola Kallenius, Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said, “Mercedes-Benz has set itself the goal of building the most desirable cars in a sustainable way. As a pioneer in automotive engineering, Europe's first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical battery recycling factory marks a key milestone towards enhancing raw-materials sustainability. Together with our partners from industry and science, we are sending a strong signal of innovative strength for sustainable electric mobility and value creation in Germany and Europe.”

Mr. Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, said, “The future of the automobile is electric, and batteries are an essential component of this. To produce batteries in a resource-conserving and sustainable way, recycling is also key. The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets! I congratulate Mercedes-Benz for its courage and foresight shown by this investment in Kuppenheim. Germany remains a cutting-edge market for new and innovative technologies.”

Mercedes-Benz’s technology partner for the battery recycling factory is Primobius GmBH., a joint venture between German plant and mechanical engineering company SMS group and Australian process technology developer Neometals, to establish a battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, Germany. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, this facility integrates all recycling processes, from shredding battery modules to extracting valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium through a less energy-intensive hydrometallurgical method.

The plant, which operates in a net carbon-neutral manner and is powered by 100% green electricity, has an annual capacity of 2,500 tonnes, enabling the production of over 50,000 battery modules for new electric vehicles. Mercedes-Benz emphasizes a holistic approach to sustainability, focusing on circular design, value retention, and closing the material loop, while also offering reconditioned batteries and stationary energy storage solutions. This initiative reflects the company’s commitment to long-term value and sustainable business practices.

Mr. Jorg Burzer, Management Member of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said, “We are systematically deepening our expertise in the battery value chain. Following the opening of the Mercedes-Benz eCampus for development of new battery cell chemistries in Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, we are now sustainably closing the raw materials loop in Kuppenheim. The innovative technology enables us to recover valuable raw materials from the battery with the highest possible degree of purity. This turns today's batteries into tomorrow's sustainable mine for raw materials. The new battery recycling plant strengthens the role of the Mercedes-Benz production network with vehicle and drivetrain plants in Europe.”

Mr. Thekla Walker MdL, Minister of Environment in Baden-Wurttemberg, said, “Battery recycling is of great importance to Baden-Württemberg as a state with such a strong automotive sector. Closing the loop on the value chain reduces dependencies, increases resilience in times of crisis and can smooth peaks and troughs in the availability of raw materials. Mercedes-Benz is a pioneer in this respect: With the integrated battery recycling plant, Mercedes-Benz has developed a sustainable approach for dealing with limited resources and is therefore making a valuable contribution to a truly circular economy. We are proud that in this federal state of innovators, we are also at the forefront in this field.”