Fortum Battery Recycling and Hydrovolt, a prominent Nordic battery recycler, have forged an agreement for the delivery of black mass to Fortum’s battery material recycling facility in Finland. This collaboration spans a cross-Nordic process: initially, Hydrovolt undertakes mechanical recycling of EV batteries at its inaugural industrial plant in Fredrikstad, Norway. Once the batteries are crushed and transformed into black mass, the material is transported to Fortum’s hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta for further processing. At Harjavalta, cutting-edge hydrometallurgical techniques are employed to recover valuable and critical metals from the black mass, which are then reintroduced into the cycle for use in the production of new lithium-ion batteries.
This partnership with Hydrovolt complements Fortum’s extensive expertise in lithium-ion battery recycling. Fortum Battery Recycling aims to revolutionize the lithium-ion battery value chain for electric vehicle and industrial-use batteries, while Hydrovolt stands as a leading player in its field with a unique dry-environment process that ensures enhanced security and cleaner output. Through this collaboration, both companies aim to strengthen their network of partnerships in the Nordic region.
Tero Holländer, Head of Fortum Battery Recycling, expresses enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasizing the importance of collaborating with like-minded partners to provide safe, cost-effective, and sustainable services for battery handling. Together, they aim to drive the battery industry forward with more efficient and sustainable solutions, while promoting collaboration and expertise in the Nordic region.
Ole-Christen Enger, CEO of Hydrovolt, shares similar sentiments, highlighting the innovative and robust nature of Fortum Battery Recycling. This collaboration, he notes, sets a leading example in the Nordics, championing sustainable battery recycling and closed-loop systems to secure critical raw materials.
The growing need for battery recycling is underscored by the new EU sustainable batteries regulation, which mandates manufacturers in various industries to gradually increase the use of recycled materials in batteries. Collaborations such as the one between Fortum Battery Recycling and Hydrovolt are vital to driving the battery recycling industry forward and achieving clean electrification.
