LG Energy Solution to set up battery recycling JV in Europe for 1st time
French facility to begin operation by 2027 with annual capacity to process over 20,000 tons of used batteries
LG Energy Solution said Tuesday it is poised to establish a joint venture for electric vehicle battery recycling in France with Derichebourg, a local environmental services company, marking South Korea's first recycling joint venture in Europe.
The new recycling plant, set to be built in the Val d'Oise region of northern France, will start construction next year and become fully operational by 2027. Its annual capacity to process used batteries is expected to be more than 20,000 metric tons.
The facility will engage in preprocessing activities that safely disassemble and crush end-of-life batteries and scrap -- by-products from cathode material production or defective batteries from battery manufacturing processes -- into 'black mass.' This intermediate product will be further processed to obtain key metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are set to be used to manufacture cathode materials and supplied to LG Energy Solution's global production sites.
The joint venture plans to secure scrap from LG Energy Solution's EV battery cell manufacturing plant in Wroclaw, Poland, and used batteries collected by DBG from France and neighboring areas.
While the additional construction project for its post-processing plant manufacturing black mass is currently pending, an LG Energy Solution official noted that the new facility's location will be determined by various factors, including the availability of large-scale industrial sites, workforce requirements and investment costs. This is different from its preprocessing facility in France, which prioritized proximity to secure end-of-life batteries, as their transportation cost is higher compared to black mass, which is easier to transport.
One of the key reasons the battery giant is building a recycling plant in France is to secure a stable supply chain for critical battery raw materials, which are often challenged by price and supply volatility due to geopolitical risks, including China's dominance in minerals. According to the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, China has 16.5 percent of the world's known lithium reserves as of January this year, ranking as the second-largest country that controls the critical materials after Chile.
Industry insiders suggest that the second Donald Trump administration's ongoing power game with China has also led to the recycling push, with the US tariffs on Chinese lithium battery materials exceeding 80 percent.
In addition, LG Energy Solution looks to preemptively respond to the EU's intensified regulations, which require recycling rates for battery raw materials in Europe to be 16 percent for cobalt, 6 percent for lithium and 6 percent for nickel by 2031. By 2036, these rates will increase to 26 percent for cobalt, 12 percent for lithium and 15 percent for nickel.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, France captured 15 percent of Europe's total EV sales in 2024, indicating a rapid increase in end-of-life battery resources. Derichebourg, a leading player in France's metal recycling market, possesses over 200 facilities that collect used batteries across the country.
'We will continue to demonstrate exceptional customer value in the battery recycling industry by capitalizing on our innovative technology and production capabilities,' stated Kang Chang-beom, chief strategy officer of LG Energy Solution.
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