Cylib, a startup backed by Porsche and Bosch, is building a massive electric car battery recycling facility in Dormagen, a town in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region.
Celeb
Cylib, a startup seeking to reduce waste from end-of-life electric car batteries, is building a massive battery recycling plant in Germany.
Celeb, which is backed by luxury sports car company Porsche Home appliance and household appliance manufacturer Bosch began work on Monday at its new site in Dormagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
More than €180 million ($200 million) is being pumped into the facility, which is expected to span 236,000 square feet and will produce recycled batteries for Europe's electric car industry.
Cylib says its facility will be the largest integrated lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Europe.
The company plans to recycle about 30,000 metric tons of end-of-life batteries at the facility each year, making it larger than the current largest plant, Hydrovolt, a joint venture between Swedish electric vehicle battery maker Northvolt and Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro.
Hydrovolt has the capacity to recycle 12,000 metric tons of end-of-life batteries annually, according to Hydro's website.
Porsche, which invested in the startup as part of a €55 million funding round, is expected to use recycled batteries produced by Cylib's new facility, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The source, who asked not to be identified because the information is not yet public, added that the plans are still in their early stages and have not yet been formalized.
Asked about Porsche's involvement in the project, a Celeb spokesperson said investments from partners like Porsche were “strategic,” adding that the company was working closely with its investors on practical manufacturing and commercial partnerships.
Critical to the transition to electric vehicles
Battery recycling is a key priority for the European Union, which seeks to ensure the sustainable development of batteries needed to power the shift to electric vehicles.
Founded in 2022 by German entrepreneur Lilian Schweitz, her husband Gideon Schweitz, and Paul Sabarny, Cylib uses water-based lithium and graphite recovery technologies to reuse materials from batteries that have reached the end of their life.
Earlier this year, the company raised €55 million in funding from investors including climate-focused venture capital firm World Fund, Porsche Ventures, Bosch, and DeepTech & Climate Fonds.
The new plant will primarily serve customers in the automotive, battery and chemical industries, Celeb said. The startup wants this to be the first of many, with more facilities planned elsewhere in Germany and Europe over the next few years.
The new facility is being built on an old site in the Kimpark area, an industrial space used primarily by the chemicals industry. Celeb said the location is strategic, with existing supply chains already in place.
Operations at the plant are scheduled to begin in 2026. The company's CEO, Lilian Schweitz, said the move is key to Sylhet's ability to reach mass production.
“Cylib’s access to industrial-scale production will be a key driver in building a robust European battery infrastructure,” Schweitz said in a press release.
“Battery recycling is a pioneer in the circular economy, proving that economic success is compatible with reducing environmental impact,” she added.
