STILL recycles lithium-ion batteries of its forklifts

(Hamburg/Magdeburg) Together with fuel cell systems, lithium-ion batteries are among the most important drive systems for the future of intralogistics – and are key pillars of the energy transition. However, for this to succeed, a viable and environmentally friendly solution for the disposal and recycling of lithium-ion batteries at the end of their life cycle is needed. Although the number of lithium-ion batteries to be recycled is currently low due to their longevity and the relatively young technology, the question of their responsible utilization plays an important role for many companies when deciding on the appropriate energy system. As one of the first providers of intralogistics solutions, the Hamburg intralogistics expert STILL now gives its customers this answer – and begins environmentally friendly recycling of its lithium-ion batteries in collaboration with the Canadian recycling specialist Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (“Li-Cycle”). Li-Cycle is one of the leading specialists in recovering valuable resources from lithium-ion batteries and opened its first location in Europe in Magdeburg in August 2023. The numbers are still manageable – STILL has delivered around 150 lithium-ion batteries to Li-Cycle’s plant so far. However, the perspective is crucial: “Initially, our goal is always to keep batteries in use for as long as possible. With our cooperation with Li-Cycle, we already have a reliable solution for the responsible recycling of all our lithium-ion batteries that will reach the end of their life cycle by 2030,” explains Dr. Florian Heydenreich, Executive Vice President Sales & Service STILL EMEA. By successfully closing the material cycle, STILL secures not only efficiency, performance, and emission-free operation but also the sustainability and circularity of lithium-ion technology. It paves the way for its customers towards sustainable, successful logistics with the integrated take-back system.

Minimal effort and maximum safety for customers

As soon as a lithium-ion battery reaches the end of its life cycle, STILL offers its customers safe transport to Li-Cycle’s plant and ensures its gentle recycling according to the highest environmental standards. To do this, STILL uses various certified transport containers to safely and legally transfer batteries in any condition to the recycling plant. For the customer, this means maximum safety and sustainability with minimal effort. “We take responsibility for the entire life cycle of the batteries used in our vehicles,” says Dr. Florian Heydenreich. “By using batteries produced in Europe from the group for our vehicles, refurbishing them during their life cycle, and finally having them recycled with a recovery rate of up to 95 percent, we meet the future requirements of the EU’s ‘Green Deal’. In addition, we offer our customers an attractive way to smartly combine ecological and economic requirements for their intralogistics.”

Cooperation ensures environmentally friendly battery recycling

In a unique, particularly environmentally friendly, and simultaneously efficient process, Li-Cycle manages to recover the majority of valuable battery components and return them to the supply chain. Li-Cycle relies on its sustainable processing technology, characterized by high safety, minimal landfill residues, and low emissions and wastewater discharges. In the first step, valuable metals such as copper, aluminum, and steel are separated from the plastics in the battery. From the remaining “black mass,” valuable materials such as lithium carbonate, cobalt sulfate, or nickel sulfate are recovered in a hydrometallurgical process and used for the production of new battery cells.

Recovering raw materials and maintaining them in the European material cycle

For the KION Group, to which STILL belongs, the sustainable recovery process was an important decision criterion for choosing Li-Cycle as a partner for recycling lithium-ion batteries. The scalability of the process and the return of valuable resources and rare metals to the material cycle in Europe were other important aspects. “The partnership with Li-Cycle not only secures us the disposal safety of our lithium-ion batteries but also ensures the supply security of our battery cell production and our suppliers in Europe in the long term,” explains Dr. Florian Heydenreich. This contributes to the long-term strengthening and expansion of the market for lithium-ion batteries in Europe. Particularly in light of the crucial role of lithium-ion technology for the future of intralogistics, this is a pioneering investment for a successful energy transition in Europe.

Photo: © STILL