Suomen Autokierrätys is linking digital intake with physical EV battery recycling by using a strongly authenticated system that tracks batteries from collection request through assessment, reuse, repurposing and final recycling. The result is better traceability, EU compliance and cost-efficiency, while preparing the chain for rising end-of-life battery volumes.
Juha Kenraali, CEO of Suomen Autokierrätys Oy, outlines how a digitally integrated intake system is reshaping the handling of end-of-life EV batteries, from collection and condition assessment to reuse, repurposing and final recycling, while delivering measurable gains in traceability, compliance and cost-efficiency across the value chain.
Digital intake system connects EV battery tracking, assessment and routing across the recycling chain
Finland-based Suomen Autokierrätys Oy operates a digital system that organizes EV battery recycling. Users log in using strong authentication to submit battery information and request transport from the recycling operator (Stena Recycling) for further battery processing. The core idea of our system is to integrate the digital and physical recycling processes.
The biggest operational gains of the digital system so far include improved cost efficiency and the ability to accurately track battery recycling from a producer-responsibility perspective.
Regarding the safe handling of batteries, the recycling operator is responsible for providing recycling guidelines on the collection, storage, and transport of the units. Additionally, all battery removal procedures must strictly follow the original manufacturer’s instructions.
In practice, the operator performs a condition assessment on the decommissioned EV batteries. Whenever possible, these batteries are refurbished for reuse as traction batteries or repurposed for other secondary applications. Batteries that are not suitable for reuse are recycled. The reception, inspection and pre-processing of EV batteries take place at the Stena Recycling facility in Riihimäki, Finland. During pre-processing, battery modules and cells are dismantled and then transported to the Halmstad facility in Sweden for final recycling. Materials unsuitable for recycling are disposed of through incineration, and recoverable materials are reclaimed from the ash whenever possible.
The operators’ recycling processes comply with the requirements of the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542).
EV battery inflows shift from damage-driven returns to end-of-life volumes over time
EV batteries enter the Suomen Autokierrätys Oy network primarily due to accidents, damage, or technical failures. In practice, they do not yet arrive through the traditional end-of-life vehicle stream.
In the future (from approximately 10 years onwards), as electric vehicles become more common, they will increasingly enter the recycling network as part of end-of-life vehicles. However, some of these batteries will end up in different networks if they are, for example, repurposed as energy storage units, thereby changing the responsible producer organization.
Battery value hinges on chemistry, recovery efficiency and scale as volumes grow
The growing global demand for clean technologies, such as EV batteries, is driving the demand for metals, including recycled metals.
Obligations set by the EU Battery Regulation, such as the mandatory use of recycled content in new batteries, further increase the demand for recycled materials.
A battery’s value is influenced by its chemistry, primarily based on the value of the metals it contains and the efficiency of their recovery. This requires accurate data on the battery’s composition and weight, as well as appropriate recycling processes. Recycling processes can be made more (cost-)efficient through automation, as much of the work is currently performed manually. Furthermore, developing recycling processes compatible with various battery types and chemistries is essential, and the standardization of batteries through ecodesign would further enhance recycling efficiency.
Furthermore, as a larger volume of batteries is expected at recycling facilities in the future, this will create economies of scale that will reduce costs and improve the overall efficiency of recycling operations.
Unclear producer roles blur the line between battery waste and product status
The area requiring clarification is the roles and responsibilities of different actors: at what point is a party considered the producer, and at what stage does the producer responsibility organization change. It is essential to clarify when reusing, refurbishing, repurposing or remanufacturing of batteries alters the actor’s role, thereby shifting the associated legal liabilities and producer obligations. Specifically, this transition determines the point at which an actor must assume the comprehensive duties of a producer, encompassing both product compliance and extended producer responsibility.
This clarification would define the precise moment a battery ceases to be ‘waste’ and re-enters the market as a ‘product’.
Battery passport data on condition, composition and history underpins safe circular flows
For the safe reuse, repurposing, and recycling of EV batteries, it is essential to have accurate information on their condition, chemical composition, and weight, along with a history of any prior repairs or modifications.
While several parties would benefit from the data being accessible and exploitable, management should be centralized. A producer responsibility organization would be the appropriate body to handle this administration.
Further Reading on Auto Recycling World
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IDEA project: Data sharing for circular end-of-life EV batteries
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EV Battery Recycling – Needs Clear Policy
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The Future is NEUTRAL extends its AutoLOOP digital platform to the collection of electric vehicle batteries
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China eyes second-life EV batteries as grid-storage resource
