Fortum Battery Recycling Expands Kirchardt Facility Capacity with New Environmental Permit in Germany

Fortum Battery Recycling Expands Kirchardt Facility Capacity with New Environmental Permit in Germany

(IN BRIEF) Fortum Battery Recycling has secured a new environmental permit for its Kirchardt facility in Germany, significantly increasing its capacity to process end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from 10 to 25 tonnes per day and expanding storage capacity to 250 tonnes. The site, operational since 2023, plays a key role in Fortum’s closed-loop recycling system, safely dismantling and pre-treating battery waste before further refinement in Finland. The expanded capacity will allow the company to scale operations and meet growing demand for sustainable battery recycling, supporting the development of a circular battery value chain in Europe.

(PRESS RELEASE) ESPOO, 14-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Fortum Battery Recycling has strengthened its operational capacity in Europe by obtaining a new environmental permit for its recycling hub in Kirchardt, southern Germany. The approval significantly increases both the processing and storage capabilities of the facility, supporting the growing demand for sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling.

Issued in February 2026 under Germany’s Federal Emission Control Act (BImSchG), the updated permit allows the site to process up to 25 tonnes of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries per day. It also expands hazardous waste storage capacity to 250 tonnes, representing a substantial increase compared to the original 2023 permit, which allowed for 10 tonnes of daily processing and 50 tonnes of storage.

Located in a region where a large share of Europe’s end-of-life batteries is concentrated, the Kirchardt facility plays a central role in Fortum’s closed-loop recycling system. Since beginning operations in 2023, the site has been dedicated to the safe discharge, dismantling, and pre-treatment of battery waste, using advanced technologies designed to manage hazardous materials efficiently and securely.

Frank Stumpf noted that the facility has already processed a wide range of battery types from electric vehicles, demonstrating the company’s technical expertise in handling complex battery systems. The expanded permit is expected to enable a steady increase in processing volumes, allowing the company to better meet rising market demand.

Operations in Germany are closely integrated with Fortum’s refining activities in Finland, where materials recovered from dismantled batteries are further processed. At the Harjavalta site, the extracted black mass is refined into sulphate solutions that are supplied to customers within the European battery value chain, supporting resource recovery and circularity.

With the enhanced permit now in place, Fortum Battery Recycling is positioning its Kirchardt hub for continued growth, reinforcing its contribution to Europe’s battery recycling infrastructure and the broader transition toward a more sustainable and circular energy ecosystem.

Fortum Battery Recycling
Fortum Battery Recycling is part of the Fortum portfolio. Fortum Battery Recycling is a specialist in recycling of valuable metals in EV batteries. It’s low-CO2 battery recycling solution makes it possible to recycle over 80% of the battery with 95% of the valuable metals contained in the battery’s black mass to be put back into circulation. fortum.com/batteryrecycling

Media Contact:

Frank Stumpf
Operations Director, Fortum Battery Recycling
frank.stumpf@fortum.com
tel. +49 152 2844 9762

SOURCE: Fortum