URT commissions 7th industrial lithium-ion battery recycling plant

German recycling plant manufacturer URT Umwelt- und Recyclingtechnik commissioned its seventh industrial lithium-ion battery recycling plant in August.

The company supplied a turnkey plant for the thermomechanical processing of lithium-ion batteries from high-voltage technology to its customer Erlos Produktion und Montagen in Zwickau, Germany.

Assembly of the project took about four months with the plant being integrated into an existing building. The ramp-up has been completed and Erlos, a subsidiary of WP Holding, is currently generating throughput of one tonne per hour, enabling the Saxony company to provide services to customers.

Around 3 500 tonnes of batteries can be recycled annually in a two-shift operation. Erlos had previously operated a pilot plant with a lower throughput.

98% recovery

Served by the URT line, Erlos is now in fully automatic operation. A key advantage of the thermomechanical process is the preservation of lithium in the black mass. Black mass contains valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium and the URT technology enables over 98% of the dry black mass to be recovered.

Acting partner Peter Hessler emphasises successful cooperation with Erlos with technology being the main focus. ‘This results in very open and honest communication,’ he says. ‘The exchange of material analysis helps us to further optimise process parameters. Erlos is very experienced in battery recycling, which allows us to project at a high level and discuss details.’

Holistic concept

The advantage of the German plant manufacturer can be found in its comprehensive expertise. By engineering and supplying turnkey plants, URT offers complete plant concepts. It is the exclusive point of contact, which helps to avoid interface problems. Together with trusted suppliers, URT develops and refines new techniques and technologies to ensure that application units are constantly optimised.

Phillip Steinbock, Erlos operations manager for battery recycling, emphasises the successful cooperation. ‘URT has proved to be the best possible partner for battery recycling.

‘Despite the challenges that such a project entails, all topics were clearly addressed collaboratively, and work was always solution-oriented. The plant technology meets the expectations of Erlos and all stakeholders in terms of both operation and performance. With this technology, we are prepared for the increasing challenges of recycling.’

Comprehensive know-how

Plants already built by URT have given the company extensive knowledge, especially of permission procedures. With this expertise, URT supports customers worldwide and addresses the respective national requirements such as the TA-Luft regulation in Germany. These range from electrical control systems and pressure vessels to safety devices.

Two areas are essential: plant safety with fire and explosion protection, and emissions. The company’s many years of recycling plant construction is due not only to research and development but also to its participation at conferences.

‘This is a good way of gathering information,’ says Hessler. ‘It enables us to maintain contact with OEMs and recyclers worldwide and to constantly check whether our plant concepts meet customer requirements. One of the reasons we can do this is the 30 years we have been in the business of building recycling plants.’

Plant expertise

In 2019, the first plant was built for Volkswagen in Salzgitter. With over 10 years of experience in lithium-ion battery recycling technology and over 30 years in plant engineering for WEEE recycling, customers can be secure in their investment.

‘The operating parameters and experience gained from our plants already in operation provide us with a very diverse input on a daily basis,’ comments Rainer Hock, cto of URT. ‘This is how we generate important know-how essential for the further development of our technology.’

Crucial to the success of recycling technology is the knowledge gained from building e-scrap recycling plants with regard to inert shredding, airlock technology and emissions, particularly the release of solvents from electrolytes.

In this way, knowledge of explosions and flammability risks can be passed on, a key factor for plant and operational safety.

Service is key

In order to operate plant technology in a sustainably efficient manner, URT values a professional customer support system. This includes an online maintenance system for the company to respond quickly to plant malfunctions. Trained service personnel can also arrive on site quickly if necessary.

Above all, URT attaches great importance to training customers to carry out valuable preventive maintenance work independently. It has developed a special spare and wear parts concept that serves as the basis for the regular replacement and worn parts exchange.

Another component of the service concept, which Erlos has also implemented, is a pool cutting system aimed towards shredding technology. Shredding influences the downstream separation technology and the throughput rate and is therefore crucial for an optimal recycling process.

With the rental system offered by URT, the customer is provided with suitable spare parts from the company’s cutting unit pool, which trained service teams replace with new or overhauled units as they wear out. This avoids additional procurement costs and ensures a high degree of flexibility.