Battery and electronic waste recycling experts TES are to build a new factory in the Port of Rotterdam.
The facility will be the first plant in the Netherlands for recycling lithium-ion batteries.
As the number of electric vehicles grows exponentially, there will be a huge supply of batteries that need to be recycled.
European Commissioner Frans Timmermans recently gave the go-ahead for the construction.
TES aims to establish its state-of-the-art factory in Europe over the next few years with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes.
The first phase of the project will be operational in late 2022, enabling the plant to process 10,000 tonnes of batteries. Cobalt, nickel, and lithium will be recovered as raw materials for new batteries.
As the largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam is looking to become a frontrunner in the energy transition and circular economy.
The port authority cooperates with companies such as TES in developing circular hubs for plastics, batteries, and building materials in Rotterdam.
Earlier this month, the Port of Rotterdam strengthened its collaboration with the Port of Duisburg (duisport) to expand initiatives in the area of digitisation and energy transition – aiming to become key logistics hubs in Europe.
Markus Bangen and Allard Castelein – CEOs at duisport and Port of Rotterdam respectively – signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to consolidate their cooperation.
Container volumes in Rotterdam fell by 1.4 per cent to 3.6 million TEU in Q1 2022.
Even though more empty containers were transported during the period of January to March 2022, the average container weight was lower.
The port cited the recent Russia-Ukraine war as a major reason behind the decline in volumes.
