German battery recycling company Cylib has acquired a mechanical battery processing facility in Bavaria capable of handling up to 10,000 tonnes of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries annually, strengthening its strategy to establish a fully integrated battery recycling business.
The acquisition expands Cylib’s operations beyond material recovery by adding large-scale battery dismantling and mechanical processing, creating an end-to-end recycling chain from spent batteries to battery-grade raw materials.
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Facility to Supply Dormagen Recycling Plant
The Bavarian facility will mechanically process end-of-life EV batteries into black mass, an intermediate material rich in valuable battery minerals.
The black mass will then be transported to Cylib’s hydrometallurgical recycling plant currently under construction in Dormagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, where it will be refined into battery-grade lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese for reuse in new battery production.
The company said the facility has the capacity to process up to 10,000 metric tonnes of batteries per year and is expected to begin operations during the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval under Germany’s Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG).
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Although Cylib did not identify the seller, industry reports indicate the acquired facility is likely the former Roth International recycling plant in Wernberg-Köblitz, Bavaria, which entered insolvency proceedings.
Expanding an End-to-End Recycling Network
Cylib said acquiring an existing industrial facility allows the company to accelerate deployment of recycling capacity while reducing both construction time and environmental impact compared with building a new plant.
Operations will be restarted under Cylib’s own environmental, operational and safety standards, with production expected to gradually ramp up alongside regulatory approvals, customer onboarding and equipment commissioning. The company aims to reach full production capacity by the end of 2027.
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Lilian Schwich said the acquisition represents an important milestone in building a complete battery recycling value chain.
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“Cylib is built on a clear conviction: battery recycling has to be end-to-end, from the end-of-life battery to the high-quality critical raw material.”
She added that the company has already demonstrated its integrated recycling process at pilot scale and is now expanding it to industrial production.
Strengthening Europe’s Battery Supply Chain
The acquisition also strengthens Cylib’s presence in one of Europe’s largest automotive manufacturing regions, providing direct access to vehicle manufacturers, battery producers and tier-one suppliers across southern Germany and Central Europe.
According to the company, the Bavarian site will become the first processing hub in a broader collection and pre-processing network designed to secure a stable supply of spent batteries for the Dormagen recycling facility.
Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Gideon Schwich said expanding large-scale processing capacity enables Cylib to provide broader recycling services for automotive and battery industry partners while supporting the company’s long-term growth strategy.
“Building large-scale processing capacity allows us to offer our customers and partners, including OEMs, tier-one suppliers, and battery manufacturers, even greater value and a more comprehensive service.”
The acquisition includes the battery processing equipment, industrial buildings and the underlying property, with Cylib assuming full operational responsibility for the site as it expands its role in Europe’s circular battery economy.