Expanded environmental permit enables capacity increase at Fortum’s Kirchardt recycling facility

Fortum Battery Recycling has reached a new milestone in its European operations, securing a new environmental permit that enables increasing the processing and storage capacity at its recycling hub in Kirchardt, southern Germany.

The new permit, granted in February 2026 under the German Federal Emission Control Act (BImSchG), allows the facility to handle 25 tonnes of end-of-life (EoL) lithium-ion batteries per day and expands its hazardous waste storage capacity to 250 tonnes. This marks a substantial upgrade from its initial permit in February 2023, which allowed for 10 tonnes of daily handling and 50 tonnes of storage.

Since most end-of-life batteries are in Central Europe, Fortum Battery Recycling has established a certified battery waste discharging and dismantling facility in Kirchardt, Germany. Since operations began in 2023, the Kirchardt site has become a cornerstone of Fortum Battery Recycling’s closed-loop service. At this site, collected batteries undergo certified pre-treatment and mechanical dismantling, utilizing the latest technology to ensure safe and efficient handling of hazardous battery waste.

“In these three years, we have processed 450 different electric vehicles battery types using highly professional technology to discharge and dismantle packs and modules safely and efficiently. The new permit will allow us to target progressively higher volumes month by month, significantly boosting our ability to meet the growing demand for sustainable battery recycling. Our dedicated team of 20 in Germany executes excellent service for our customers”, says Frank Stumpf, Director Battery Recycling Services, Fortum Battery Recycling.

The German team works in close collaboration with their colleagues in Harjavalta, Finland, where black mass is refined and delivered to customers in European battery value chain as sulphate solution. With the new 2026 permit now in place, the Kirchardt team is setting its sights on the future.

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

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