Ecobat to sell three locations in Germany and Austria
The transaction includes Ecobat’s plants in Freiberg (Saxony) and Braubach (Rhineland-Palatinate) as well as the plant in Arnoldstein in Carinthia, Austria. Even though Ecobat has recently made a name for itself in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries from electric cars and has just opened three plants in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States for this purpose, the sale of the sites in Freiberg, Braubach and Arnoldstein is not about recycling high-voltage batteries from electric cars, but rather conventional lead-acid batteries, such as the classic 12-volt starter batteries – which are the core business of the buyer, Clarios. The plants mainly recover lead and, as by-products, various plastics (from the device housings) and sodium sulphate.
Ecobat justifies the sale of the three sites by stating that the company wants to focus on the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. After all, the company invested heavily in the new lithium-ion battery plants located in Hettstedt in Saxony-Anhalt, Casa Grande in the US state of Arizona and Darlaston in England. The three plants currently have the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries per year, with this figure set to rise to 25,000 tonnes in the future.
Tom Slabe, President and CEO of Ecobat, explained: “Upon completion, this transaction – along with the previously announced divestitures of France, Italy, and Battery Distribution – will enable Ecobat to concentrate its efforts on core recycling operations, as well as our global lithium-ion battery business. Ecobat will continue to pursue additional opportunities to maximize value for shareholders beyond these transactions.”
The acquisition is expected to enhance Clarios’ ability to recover and reuse battery materials and underscores the company’s commitment to the circular economy and sustainable production across the EMEA region, according to Clarios. At the same time, the transaction is intended to help meet rising legal and customer expectations for responsible sourcing and material reuse.
“This expansion marks a major milestone in our European operations,” said Werner Benade, President EMEA at Clarios. “It will strengthen our European recycling infrastructure, improves supply chain resilience and supports the delivery of high-quality secondary materials — including those used in our leading VARTA brand — to meet growing demand for advanced low-voltage batteries, support the energy transition in the automotive industry, and reinforce our leadership in the circular economy.”
Clarios was formed in 2019 from the former Johnson Controls Power Solutions, which acquired the Varta brand from the battery factory in 2002. Clarios continues to use the Varta brand for its vehicle batteries. Clarios now also manufactures 12-volt lithium-ion batteries.
This article was first published by Florian Treiß for electrive’s German edition.
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