Nils Steinbrecher, Managing Director of SK tes Sustainable Battery Solutions at the International Automotive Recycling Congress (IARC), 2022.
The SK tes Sustainable Battery Solutions team joined other leading experts in the field of automotive recycling at the IARC in Basel, Switzerland - on July 5th and 7th. Steinbrecher, Managing Director of SK tes Sustainable Battery Solutions, highlighted the company’s efforts to drive innovation in the automotive recycling sector. The event brought together industry leaders to discuss the future of sustainable battery solutions, emphasizing the importance of responsible recycling practices to ensure a greener, more efficient future for the automotive industry.
Here is the video interview with Nils Steinbrecher, Managing Director of SK tes Sustainable Battery Solutions.
The interview discuss about battery recycling market, some challenges and and SK tes developments and plans.
Here is the video transcript:
Could you summarize SK tes’ battery recycling operations and recent developments?
Our headquarters are in Singapore, and we operate globally, leveraging expertise gained in Asia and applying it in Europe, China and we recently won a large grant to establish a battery recycling facility in Australia, as well as opening our new Rotterdam battery recycling facility.
Additionally, SK ecoplant acquired TES (now known as SK tes). This acquisition brings us closer to battery recycling production, and being part of a larger family has significantly accelerated our investments in EV battery recycling—much faster than we originally anticipated.
Do you see particular potential for automotive batteries in Europe?
Yes, absolutely. The automotive sector is driving the construction of giga-factories, but these factories might face challenges in the coming years. Many giga-factories are planned, but the production scrap rates can reach up to 40% for a single plant. Meanwhile, Europe’s recycling capacity isn’t scaling fast enough to meet the demand.
When it comes to end-of-life batteries, we don’t see that much of an issue because now EV batteries typically remain in use much longer than expected—likely 10 to 20 years rather than the initially estimated 5 to 10 years. This longevity depends on driving patterns, but automotive batteries undoubtedly have a significant impact. In fact, predictions show that 90% of batteries will come from the automotive sector in the future.
Are there other battery sectors you are focusing on?
Yes, we are also targeting commercial vehicles, utilities, and related energy storage systems. This includes energy storage solutions for data centers and other applications. With the growth of renewables, we’re also seeing increasing demand for renewable battery storage, which tends to have a longer-term usage cycle.
Second-life batteries are another key focus for us. Automotive batteries are particularly appealing because they’re designed for rapid acceleration and quick charge/discharge cycles. In contrast, energy storage batteries take longer to reach the market and represent a smaller segment overall.
How does SK group’s technology complement your capabilities? Are there areas where you’re filling gaps in their portfolio?
Very much so. During our due diligence process, we identified several synergies. SK group is the sixth-largest battery producer globally and very active in the market. They’ve also developed second-life energy storage systems and have extensive process technology expertise.
For example, as SK tes, we had initially planned to implement a hydrometallurgical recycling process in Rotterdam. Now, with SK group’s support, we may enhance this process to recover more active materials needed by automotive producers. This allows us to move further up the value chain, producing higher-quality materials for new batteries.
Our ultimate goal is to close the loop in the battery economy. By recycling old batteries and using the materials to build new ones for EVs, we can offer our clients a more sustainable and efficient solution. That’s both our mission and our commitment.
What are your plans for sales and development?
We aim to expand further into Eastern and Southern Europe while continuing to work with SK on additional investment plans, including projects in the US.
The future is bright, and events like this conference are a great opportunity for us to connect with our clients and build on these plans.
Get in touch with SK tes about your battery recycling projects today.
