Securing Rotterdam Hub, Europe's Largest Trading Port
Annual Recycling of 40,000 Electric Vehicle Batteries Possible
Up to 10,000 Tons of Black Mass Production
SK ecoplant's subsidiary SK tes has completed a pre-processing plant for recycling waste batteries in Western Europe. It is expected to serve as a foothold for SK tes's entry into the European market.
Interior view of SK Tes, a subsidiary of SK Ecoplant, at the battery recycling pretreatment plant in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photo by SK Ecoplant
On the 27th, SK ecoplant announced that SK tes completed a pre-processing plant for recycling waste batteries in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on the 26th (local time).
With this completion, SK tes has secured a first-stage base for its entry into Western Europe. The completed plant is located in the Rotterdam port district of Rotterdam city, the Netherlands. The total floor area is 10,000㎡, making it the largest waste battery recycling plant owned by SK tes. It can process battery recycling equivalent to 40,000 electric vehicles annually. It can produce up to 10,000 tons of black mass per year. Even before completion, electric vehicle batteries from global automakers have been brought in for pre-processing tasks such as discharging and disassembly. In the fourth quarter of this year, a mid- to long-term contract will be signed with leading global automobile companies to provide full-cycle electric vehicle battery recycling services. Construction of a second-stage pre-processing plant is also underway nearby. Upon completion by the end of next year, a total of 25,000 tons of black mass will be produced annually.
Black mass is an intermediate processed material in the form of black powder made by collecting, discharging, dismantling, and crushing waste batteries. After post-processing black mass, rare metals essential for battery production such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel can be extracted.
Workers at SK Tess, a subsidiary of SK Ecoplant, working at the battery recycling pretreatment plant in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Photo by SK Ecoplant
SK ecoplant and its subsidiary SK tes have secured all key elements in the battery recycling field: bases (networks), technology, and permits. They have solutions covering all areas from waste battery collection to rare metal extraction and recycling, and have established global logistics bases in 46 locations across 23 countries worldwide. They have also obtained more than 30 Basel Permits required to collect waste batteries from major countries around the world.
Jae-yeon Cho, head of SK ecoplant Environment BU, stated, "Through SK ecoplant's unique technology combining battery-related AI and robotics and our global network, we will lead the global battery recycling market."
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