Germany, Korea seek cooperation in EV battery recycling

Participants of the "Circular Economy in Korea and in Germany: Recycling and Reuse of EV Batteries" conference, co-hosted by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and the Embassy of Germany, pose for a photo at Conrad Hotel Seoul, July 20. Courtesy of KGCCI

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea and Germany, two of the world's leading automotive manufacturing countries, are looking for ways to enhance cooperation in the recycling of electric vehicle (EV) batteries in order to build a circular economy together.

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) and the Embassy of Germany in Korea co-hosted a conference, titled "Circular Economy in Korea and in Germany: Recycling and Reuse of EV Batteries," at Conrad Hotel Seoul, July 20.

The conference centered on the recycling and reuse of industrial batteries, which is an integral part of the transition to clean, renewable energy.

German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said Germany shares the core objective of transitioning towards a clean, sustainable social and circular economy along with Korea as well as other key countries of the world amid the triple global threats of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution.

"All three are endangering our climate and our environment and causing severe impacts on the planet... We, therefore, need to advance our collective efforts in our joint action towards a more resource-efficient and circular economy," the ambassador said.

"Our Korean-German climate and environment conference is a good opportunity to discuss strategy on the circular economy, to exchange practices and to learn from each other.

"Resource efficiency and circular economy are indispensable tools for Korea and Germany in achieving our climate and biodiversity targets. Simultaneously, the circular economy will foster the competitiveness and resilience of our economies and communities."

German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel delivers opening remarks at the "Circular Economy in Korea and in Germany: Recycling and Reuse of EV Batteries" conference at Conrad Hotel Seoul, July 20. Courtesy of KGCCI

KGCCI Chairperson and Porsche Korea CEO Holger Gerrmann noted that both countries are actively pursuing a transition towards a circular economy.

"The concept of a circular economy is driven by common-sense principles ― recycling and reusing valuable resources while reducing their consumption. A sustainable circular economy addresses the related systemic crisis of climate and resource use and in return, comprehensively contributes to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050," Gerrmann said.

Gerrmann introduced a new amendment to German battery law, which was implemented in January 2021 to minimize the negative environmental impact of health hazards due to battery waste.

"Korea is also at the forefront of battery recycling. Major conglomerates in Korea are working to form a battery recycling alliance for enhanced collaboration on the reuse of battery waste ... While both countries will have their own transition speed, there is ample room for the two strong economies to mutually benefit from cooperation and transfer of knowledge."

Kyungpook National University chemical engineering professor Kim Young-kyoo moderated the event.

Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairperson and Porsche Korea CEO Holger Gerrmann delivers opening remarks at the "Circular Economy in Korea and in Germany: Recycling and Reuse of EV Batteries" conference at Conrad Hotel Seoul, July 20. Courtesy of KGCCI

Anika Neitz-Regett, head of Resources and Climate Protection at Forschungsstelle fur Energiewirtschaft (Research Institute for Energy) based in Munich, gave a keynote speech on circular approaches for EV batteries.

Neitz-Regett said it is important to look at all phases of the life cycle, from production to use and especially end of life, as a circular economy is about efficient and renewable use of resources.

"If we talk about the circular economy, it's about increasing utilization of resources in the use phase. As we go towards the end of life, we can think about lifetime extension ― repairing, reusing and remanufacturing products at the end of life and giving them a second life," Neitz-Regett said.

She pointed out the four crucial success factors needed to implement circular business models in the field of EV batteries.

"One really important precondition for this to work is that the better the standardized design is for disassembly, then the better we can actually reuse and repair certain components ― the design for recycling," Neitz-Regett said.

Another factor is to ensure that ownership works also in a circular value chain.

"So who is responsible and who is owning the battery after the end of life, how are big systems actually organized and what warranties are needed to make the system work?" she explained.

Neitz-Regett also noted the importance of cooperation between different stakeholders in the automotive industry and the energy sector.

"Creating the right framework conditions is vital to make it attractive for companies to provide second-life batteries. And recycling also needs certain incentives in order to become economically viable."

In a session discussing regulatory frameworks and opportunities for bilateral cooperation, Na On-gyun of the Korea Environment Corporation introduced Korean laws and regulations on EV batteries and Tim Schulze from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action explained the German and European perspective.

Other EV battery and circular economy experts took part in the conference, including Flerida Regueira-Cortizo from Germany Trade & Invest, Carl-Ernst Forchert and Angela Blume from i-vector Innovationsmanagement, Kim Hyung-kyung from Korean battery production and assessment company Corn, Yum Kwang-hyun from Korean battery recycling company SungEel HiTech, Kevin Kraus from ERLOS Produktion und Montagen, Federico Diaz Betancourt from Volkswagen Group and Florian Kabitzke from Stobich technology.