Nowadays only a few waste disposal companies have facilities for recycling lithium-ion batteries. However, taking the old batteries there is dangerous. This requires dedicated, secure transport. And that is expensive.
Jürgen Abraham, Tobias Kopp and Chris Pichler are working on a new solution as part of a spin-off from the University of Graz at the UniCorn start-up incubator. Under the name ‘ProtectLiB’, they have developed a patented recycling process in the form of a compact recycling plant. It is the size of an ordinary container so that vehicle batteries can be processed directly on site.
The first prototype is located on the campus of the University of Graz and is ready for use. The founders are currently focussing on batteries from the automotive sector. Mobile phone or laptop batteries are initially excluded, as every battery has a different chemical composition. ‘It’s difficult to implement a single solution for everyone,’ explains Kopp.
The first customer has already been acquired in the south of Graz. Kopp: ‘Battery prototypes for transport are being developed there. In future, the technology of ProtectLiB will enable the company to recycle these directly on site.” A first step towards the sustainable recycling of batteries from the automotive sector.