Zukunftsgestalter: „Irgendwann ist das ein Milliardenmarkt“ – vom Schrotthändler zum Rohstoffstrategen

Accurec, a medium-sized German company based in Krefeld, is aiming to revolutionize the lithium recycling industry by becoming the first European firm capable of extracting lithium from spent batteries. The firm has invested over €25 million in developing its lithium recycling capabilities, with the process expected to increase its processing capacity from 6,000 to 20,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries.

Business Director Reiner Sojka estimates a capital requirement of around €40 million for further expansion. Europe currently has only about 85,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste available for recycling, but with existing capacities, this could be increased by four times. Despite the higher market expectations a few years ago, now the market for lithium-ion battery waste is smaller, mainly due to longer battery life and fewer new battery production facilities in Europe.

However, BCG experts predict a substantial 370,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste in Europe by 2035. Accurec aims to reduce the risk associated with investing in a market that will only see significant waste a few years down the line by tapping into European market shares of older battery systems, which currently range from 50 to 80 percent for the company.