German startup Tozero has signed a lease to establish a lithium-ion battery recycling pilot plant at the Gendorf Chemical Park in Bavaria, with operations expected to begin later this year. The new demonstration facility will lay the groundwork for a commercial-scale plant slated for 2026.
“Tozero strengthens our position as a pioneering location for young, fast-growing companies from future-focused industries,” said Christoph von Reden, Managing Director of InfraServ Gendorf, which operates the chemical park. “Our infrastructure and our tailored industrial services for the chemical and process industries provide ideal conditions for companies aiming to scale.”
Tozero, founded in 2022, has developed a process to recover high-purity lithium and graphite from the so-called black mass found in used EV batteries. The startup outsources mechanical dismantling to specialized partners to lower logistics costs and reduce safety risks. It aims to recover more than 80% of lithium from end-of-life batteries, already meeting the European Union’s 2031 recovery targets.
“With our technology, we return valuable and energy-intensive materials like lithium and graphite back into the economic cycle,” said Ksenija Milicevic Neumann, Tozero’s CTO. “The commercial demonstration plant at the chemical park is therefore a milestone for us and an important interim step in scaling our technology.”
The Gendorf Chemical Park in Burgkirchen an der Alz—one of Bavaria’s largest industrial parks—provides what Tozero calls a “plug-and-play” environment, allowing the startup to focus on technology development while InfraServ supports operations. The company is planning a mid-single-digit million euro investment in the site.
Tozero delivered its first recycled lithium to European customers earlier this year from its Munich pilot facilities. The upcoming Gendorf plant is expected to significantly boost output as the company advances toward commercial-scale operations.
