Revolt

Recycling Lithium-ion batteries

The world needs sustainable batteries. And a plan for what to do with them at end-of-life. Our solution: take old batteries and turn them into fresh raw materials for batteries of tomorrow. We do this through Revolt – our program for battery recycling.

Closing the loop on batteries

Recycling is a fundamental in our business model. Our aim is to establish a closed loop on batteries to ensure valuable raw materials remain in circulation.

For this, we need clean, effective recycling technologies. And that’s just what we have in Revolt.

What we’re up to at Revolt…

We’ve been investing into Revolt since 2019. We’ve developed and proven the technologies. We’ve established several recycling facilities. And we’re online at Europe’s largest battery recycling plant!

Revolt at a glance

Homegrown

Europe’s only homegrown battery cell and recycling company.

Reduced carbon footprint

Lowest process CO2 footprint in the battery recycling industry.

Leading technology

Innovation leader with 103 patent applications filed within more than 21 patent families and 38 granted so far.

Reducing dependencies

Battery-grade metals recovered at scale from Europe’s largest recycling plant.

A circular model

Europe's only online recycler capable of recovering high yields of battery-grade lithium.

Supporting European industry

Whole recycling process takes place in Europe.

The Revolt process explained

Northvolt’s battery recycling process involves several steps, all of which play a role in ensuring the safe and effective processing of materials.

Step 1

Collection

For batteries coming off the market the first step is always collection. We have a logistics network and partners set up to support this, and ensure batteries are brought safely to our facilities.
Step 2

Discharging

Before anything else, we discharge batteries of all energy to make them safe to recycle. Where possible, energy is recovered to power the recycling process.
Step 3

Dismantling

The next step in the recycling process involves removing modules from the packs that arrive with us. Modules are taken onwards for processing, and remaining materials sent away for recycling off-site.
Recovered
  • Arrow IconPack aluminium
  • Arrow IconPack cabling
  • Arrow IconPack plastics
  • Arrow IconModules
Step 4

Crushing & Sorting

This mechanical process step involves crushing the batteries. The material is then processed using a variety of techniques to separate fractions of metals and plastics. The remaining material is the most valuable – a fine powder called black mass.
Recovered
  • Arrow IconCopper
  • Arrow IconAluminium
  • Arrow IconPlastics
  • Arrow IconBlack mass
Step 5

Hydromet

Black mass is a powdered mixture of metals which we must purify to recover materials that can be used in the production of fresh batteries. To do this, we use a hydrometallurgical treatment.
Recovered
  • Arrow IconLithium
  • Arrow IconNickel
  • Arrow IconManganese
  • Arrow IconCobalt

Why we recycle

A new source of sustainable raw materials

Demand for battery materials is growing. Recycling provides a pathway to sourcing battery-grade metals, without the ethical and sustainability risks associated with mining.

Reducing the carbon footprint of batteries

With Northvolt’s recycling process, we’re able to recover battery-grade metals with a much lower carbon footprint than freshly mined metals. Gram for gram, cathode material produced from Revolt recycled material has a carbon footprint that’s 80% lower than industry average.

Creating value, not environmental problems

One of our key aims is to provide a sustainable solution for handling batteries at their end-of-life. Avoiding landfills or incineration, we ensure the safe and sustainable treatment of batteries, with a process that creates value not environmental problems.

What we recover

Copper

The recycling of copper helps meet increasing global demand and supports more sustainable industries. During the last decade, more than 30% of global copper demand was met with recycled copper.

Aluminium

Lightweight and highly adapatable, aluminum is the ideal material for building a more circular and sustainable world. What’s more, making recycled aluminum takes only around 5% of the energy needed to make new aluminum.

Plastics

Plastic is a leading cause of environmental concern and establishing more circular flows is crucial. Fortunately, it’s also recyclable, and can be reprocessed into high-quality, durable plastic products.

Lithium

Lithium is a critical metal element in the global energy transition due to its fundamental role in the battery industry. While new, more sustainable sources of lithium are under development, recycling provides a road to lower impact lithium today.

Nickel

A metal that’s critical to the battery industry, and widely used by others too, nickel is highly valuable and growing in demand.

Manganese

Manganese mines can be found around the world, and global reserves are high. It’s another key ingredient in many kinds of battery used in the world today.

Cobalt

Cobalt mining is limited to several countries around the world, and the supply chain has been linked to sustainability risks, including unethical mining practices.

Electrolyte & Graphite

Recycling these last two is tricky — but we’re on it. We’re actively researching new technologies for the recycling of electrolyte and graphite.

Do you have batteries for recycling?

If you have batteries that you'd like to recycle, please reach out to us. We support businesses through the full recycling process, regardless of volume size.

Learn more

Our locations

Revolt Ett, Sweden

Revolt Ett, Sweden

Europe’s largest battery recycling plant, powered by 100% fossil-free energy, located directly alongside Northvolt Ett gigafactory. Revolt Ett hosts a fully-integrated recycling process, from discharging and mechanical processing, through to hydromet.

  • Arrow IconCrushing & Sorting
  • Arrow IconHydromet
Revolt Hamburg, Germany

Revolt Hamburg, Germany

A collection hub, Revolt Hamburg is a key facility within our European network. The plant is designed to support battery storage, discharging and dismantling. Following dismantling, battery modules are sent onward for further processing.

  • Arrow IconCollection
  • Arrow IconDischarging
  • Arrow IconDismantling
Revolt Pilot

Revolt Pilot, Sweden

Featuring a scaled down recycling plant, the Revolt Pilot provides a platform for our recycling R&D, demonstration projects and process development. The plant hosts an automated dismantling station, mechanical processing equipment and hydromet.

  • Arrow IconDischarging
  • Arrow IconCrushing & Sorting

#recycling

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Closing the loop on batteries

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