BATT Conference Agenda

Europe has placed battery recycling at the very heart of its Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan, and Battery Regulation. With rapidly rising volumes of production scrap, defective cells and end-of-life batteries, the continent is facing an unprecedented wave of recyclable material over the next decade. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, critical raw material dependencies and ambitious minimum recycled-content quotas are reshaping global value chains. On paper, Europe appears to be preparing for a closed-loop battery ecosystem. In reality, however, a growing contradiction is emerging between regulatory ambition and industrial practice. This presentation critically examines whether Europe is truly on track to build a competitive, self-sustaining battery recycling ecosystem – or whether it is drifting into a new form of strategic dependency: An “export economy” for black mass and recyclables. While Europe has already developed strong capabilities in collection, disassembly, shredding and pre-treatment, the true bottleneck lies in hydrometallurgical refining, material upgrading and integration into the cathode and precursor supply chain. High CAPEX and OPEX, unresolved scaling dilemmas, slow offtake development and intense price competition from Asia are creating a structural disadvantage. As a result, up to 80% of Europe’s black mass is currently exported to Asia, where vast underutilized refining capacities and lower costs dominate the market. The talk will explore the strategic implications of this trend, analyzing the role of OEMs, cell manufacturers, chemical companies and regulators as “gatekeepers” of the recycling value chain. It will also assess the tension between upcoming regulatory requirements – such as mandatory recycled content and battery passport transparency – and the harsh economic realities of global competition. Is Europe regulating itself into irrelevance? Or can a new, more pragmatic and integrated approach bridge the gap between environmental vision and industrial viability? By combining market data, process economics, regulatory analysis and real-world project experience, this presentation will challenge common assumptions and offer a sobering yet constructive perspective on where Europe’s battery recycling industry is heading – and what must change to escape the dead end. For industry leaders, policymakers and technology providers, this session provides critical insight into one of the most decisive – and misunderstood – battlegrounds of the energy transition.