The sustainable transformation of energy and mobility systems requires powerful, safe, and durable energy storage systems. Batteries are therefore a key technology – not only for decarbonization, but also for economic resilience, industrial competitiveness, and geopolitical capacity to act.
However, the sharp rise in global demand for battery cells is increasing pressure on raw material markets, supply chains, and production capacities. To address this issue, Fraunhofer FFB is conducting research and analysis with various partners in a range of projects, including the recovery of materials and their reintegration into battery production RECLAIM), circular phosphate cycles (SuSyPhos), and secondary raw material sources (SeRoBatt) from non-battery-based end-of-life production for battery cell production. This is because battery cell manufacturing must not only be cost-optimized, efficient, and scalable, but also consistently developed and implemented in line with ecological and circular principles. Only then will the conditions for security of supply, environmental relief, and the long-term competitiveness of the European battery industry be met.
Sustainability in battery cell production requires a holistic view of the entire life cycle. The long-term goal is to close material cycles and systematically reduce the use of resources and energy. International analyses, including one by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Global Battery Alliance, identify several key levers for achieving this. These include, in particular, end-to-end traceability of the battery throughout its entire life cycle – from material selection, initial use, and repair to possible reuse. Only on this basis can material flows, reuse potential, and recycling paths be analyzed on the basis of data and, if necessary, evaluated and controlled. In addition, performance and data standards as well as defined regulations are gaining in importance. Instruments such as the Battery Pass expand classic target variables such as safety, cost, and battery performance to include criteria such as disassembly, reparability, and recyclability.
This shifts the focus from a purely usage-oriented interpretation of the initial service life to a systematically sustainable design approach across multiple life cycles. Critical raw materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite are a particular focus here. In addition to reducing their use and researching alternative battery cell technologies (such as sodium-ion batteries or solid-state batteries), the targeted reuse of high-quality recyclates is of central importance. According to the World Economic Forum, RMI, and Global Battery Alliance, second-life technologies should be supported and promoted through political measures. In addition, the establishment of a European circular economy value chain and the integration of other countries into the value chain, thereby shortening potential transport routes for materials, are also crucially relevant for the sustainability of batteries. This is because cross-border transport from all over the world and long supply chains for materials also increase emissions and greenhouse gases in the battery cell manufacturing process. Relocating parts of the battery supply chain and production to the EU enables it to check production parameters and keep international standards for material composition under control.
Fraunhofer FFB is an integral part of this approach and conducts research into more environmentally friendly methods for selecting and processing raw materials for second-life use, more efficient and safer cell design, and the reuse and recycling of materials. Fraunhofer FFB is also working with various partners to research the scaling of promising methods.
Efficient end-of-life strategies and modern recycling processes are key components of a functioning battery recycling economy. They enable valuable raw materials to be recovered and reused in battery cell production, making closed material cycles a realistic prospect. To give you an impression of this field of research at Fraunhofer FFB, here are some of our projects. Would you like to find out more? Feel free to contact our experts. You can find the contact details on the respective linked project pages.
In the new reasearch project RECLAIM (Recycling Electrode Coatings through Delamination and Re-Integration into Manufacturing) by Fraunhofer FFB, cylib, MEET, No Canary, Otto Junker Solutions and PEM by RWTH Aachen focusses on delamination – the separation of active material and current collector foil. This is done using thermal, mechanical, and wet chemical processes. Research and implementation are carried out on various active materials and binder systems. This recycling process can save up to 60% of costs and up to 80% of CO2 emissions.
The research project focuses on the recovery of phosphate from wastewater and sewage sludge and its further processing as LFP for batteries. The Fraunhofer FFB, the MEET, the University of Applied Sciences Münster, the Institut for Business Management at the University of Münster and BeTeBe GmbH are jointly investigating the value creation cycle from phosphate separation to electrochemical testing of the finished battery cell, as well as its ecological and economic evaluation. The aim is to evaluate the viability of a circular phosphate cycle and thus reduce import dependency and environmental impact.
The joined project involving Fraunhofer FFB, IME der RWTH Aachen, MEET, IWARU at University of Applied Sciences Münster, elores und Fraunhofer IWKS aims to The joint research project involving Fraunhofer FFB, IME at RWTH Aachen University, MEET, IWARU at Münster University of Applied Sciences, elores, and Fraunhofer IWKS aims to identify and tap into secondary raw material sources from non-battery-based end-of-life products for battery cell production. The focus is on developing suitable recycling processes, synthesizing the recovered recyclates into NMC active material, and reintegrating and evaluating them in test cells. Against the backdrop of untapped material cycles, growing regulatory requirements, and limited availability of end-of-life batteries, lithium-containing cooktops, for example, are being investigated as a relevant material group. The aim is to evaluate the ecological and economic viability of such recovery approaches and to identify starting points for closing raw material cycles.
Fraunhofer FFB plays a key role in implementing sustainable and circular battery concepts in Europe. As a research facility for battery cells, it enables research into new materials, processes, and recycling approaches under realistic production conditions. It thus acts as a link between research and industry. Fraunhofer FFB's main focus is on the production of battery cells, but against the backdrop of increasing regulatory requirements and growing market volumes, it is becoming clear that sustainability and the circular economy are not downstream areas for optimization, but integral design parameters for future generations of battery cells.
Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB 
