A massive electric car battery recycling plant has just been announced for Norway. Stena Recycling (no, not the ferry company, although both are distantly related via the Stean AB Group) has said that its new facility in Ausenfjellet, just to the east of Oslo, should be up and running later this summer.
Supported by the Norwegian government
The project is supported by Enova, the Norwegian government’s enterprise programme that supports environmentally friendly businesses. Enova has invested €1.8 million, against Stena Recycling’s €8.6 million investment.
That investment is aimed at meeting the need for an estimated 30 million electric car battery packs by 2030, and that’s just in Europe. Given the relative scarcity of battery materials such as lithium, cobalt, and manganese, it’s seen as crucial that battery recycling steps up to fill some of the supply gaps, taking old batteries from scrapped cars and re-using their material building blocks (which are, effectively, endlessly recyclable).
Reduce the carbon footprint
Ragnhild Borchgrevink, CEO of Stena Recycling, speaking of the significance of the facility, said: “This project focuses on both the reuse and recycling of electric car batteries and will help reduce the carbon footprint and promote a circular economy. With Enova’s support, we can develop new technology and establish a value chain that minimises the environmental impact of electric car batteries.”
AI algorithms
Once it’s fully up and running, Stena’s facility should be able to handle 3,000 tonnes of high-energy batteries every year. To keep the facility flowing properly, Stena says it is developing “advanced infrastructure, AI algorithms for assessing battery health, innovative disassembly and diagnostic methods, and a modular battery storage bank for second-life applications.”
To make all this work, Stena is linking up with EV Hub, an electric car battery specialist company. “Our technology provides a detailed overview of the battery’s condition, making it possible to save many electric cars from being scrapped and get them back on the road again,” said Nassir Farooq, CEO of EV Hub.