Riciclo delle batterie, Seval inaugura nuovo polo

Seval, an Italian company, has inaugurated a new production facility for lithium-ion battery treatment at its headquarters in Colico, Lecco. This marks the first step in a €30 million industrial plan, partly funded by the Pnrr program. The company also plans to create a similar facility in Balvano (Potenza), currently under construction and awaiting testing.

The new Colico facilities utilize Duesenfeld technology to discharge, inertize, and mill the batteries. The goal is to produce "black mass," a lithium-rich powder containing critical materials like cobalt and nickel, which can be later recovered and reintroduced into manufacturing processes. The Colico and Balvano plants will each handle 15,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually.

Seval currently employs 500 people, operates nine production sites, generates €130 million in revenue, and processes 180,000 tonnes of waste yearly, mainly from Raee batteries. The company aims to become one of Europe's top producers of black mass. The company has been treating various battery types, particularly lithium-ion batteries found in consumer electronics and electric vehicles, for over two decades.

The inauguration of the Colico facility was attended by Italy's Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, highlighting the government's growing interest in a technology and energy-independent national strategy. The European Critical Raw Materials Act aims to ensure that at least 25% of the Union's annual critical material consumption comes from recycling waste by 2030.