German automotive supplier Webasto has entered into a partnership with Aachen-based battery recycling startup Cylib to recycle used batteries and production waste from Webasto’s battery manufacturing operations, the companies said. The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s raw material ecosystem and promote sustainable battery production.
Cylib, which secured €55 million in investor funding last year, recently began constructing its first industrial battery recycling facility at Chempark Dormagen, Germany. The site, backed by tens of millions of euros from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is designed to recover critical materials such as lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. Under the agreement, Cylib will collect and recycle battery waste from Webasto’s European production sites.
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“Our recycling technology recovers all valuable materials from spent lithium-ion batteries, including lithium and graphite,” said Cylib co-founder and COO Dr. Gideon Schwich. “The partnership with Webasto is an important step towards scaling up battery recycling. Together, we are securing the raw materials of tomorrow and driving forward the circular economy in Europe.”
Webasto, which has been producing battery systems for electric cars and commercial vehicles since 2019, sees the collaboration as a key move for the industry. “Collaborations like the one between Webasto and Cylib are in the interest of the entire European automotive industry, because they make the local raw material ecosystem more sustainable and resilient – ultimately benefiting everyone, right down to the end consumer,” said Marcel Bartling, Webasto’s Chief Technology Officer.
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The company has also explored second-life battery applications, commissioning a one-megawatt-hour storage system at its Schierling plant in Bavaria last year. The system, utilizing 30 repurposed batteries, stores solar energy generated on-site, contributing to Webasto’s sustainability initiatives.