In a significant move towards enhancing battery recycling efforts in Northern Europe, Finnish battery recycler Fortum and the Swedish-Norwegian battery recycling joint venture Hydrovolt have joined forces. The alliance aims to bolster the region’s status as a model for the battery circular economy.
Hydrovolt, a partnership between Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt and Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro, is constructing a recycling plant in Norway. Fortum, with recycling plants in Finland and Germany, is also developing a new pilot plant in Finland for innovative recycling methods.
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The collaboration will enable Fortum and Hydrovolt to advance their battery recycling operations. Hydrovolt will crush electric vehicle batteries at its plant in Fredrikstad, Norway, delivering the resulting material to Fortum’s hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta, Finland, for further processing and metal recovery, crucial for new lithium-ion battery production.
Fortum and Hydrovolt view this partnership as an opportunity to strengthen their networks in the Nordic region. Hydrovolt’s unique dry process and Fortum’s market position and innovative strength are expected to benefit both companies.
The alliance comes at a critical juncture following the EU’s adoption of the Critical Raw Materials Act, which mandates a significant portion of battery materials to be sourced domestically by 2030. This includes 10% of battery materials from domestic production, 40% from domestic processing, and 45% from local recycling, reducing the EU’s dependency on third countries, particularly China.
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Fortum Battery Recycling’s hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta, Finland, commissioned in April 2023, is a key asset in this effort. It is described as Europe’s largest hydrometallurgical plant in terms of recycling capacity, with the technology capable of recovering 95% of metals from the battery mass for new lithium-ion battery production.
Tero Holländer, Head of Fortum Battery Recycling, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “Together, we can drive the battery industry forward with more efficient and sustainable solutions while also promoting Nordic collaboration and knowhow.”
Hydrovolt’s battery recycling plant in Fredrikstad, Norway, operational since May 2022, can process approximately 12,000 tons of battery packs annually. The joint venture aims to recycle around 70,000 tons of battery packs by 2025 and 300,000 tons by 2030, contributing significantly to sustainable battery recycling and securing critical raw materials domestically.
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“This collaboration is a great example of how we can create circular solutions, paving the way for more sustainable practices in the industry,” says Ole-Christen Enger, CEO of Hydrovolt. “Together, we set a leading example in the Nordics, championing sustainable battery recycling and closed-loop systems for securing critical raw materials.”
