LG, Derichebourg Launch EV Battery Recycling Venture in France

Seoul, South Korea—LG Energy Solution and French recycler Derichebourg will form a joint venture to build a battery recycling plant in northern France. The plant will process up to 20,000 tons of batteries annually.

Construction at the Bruyères-sur-Oise site in Val-d'Oise is scheduled to begin in 2026, with operations expected to commence in 2027.

The companies stated in a press release that the facility will dismantle and shred battery production waste, utilizing electric vehicle batteries to extract materials for reuse.

Under the agreement, LG Energy Solution will supply battery scrap from its Polish production plant, while Derichebourg will supply end-of-life batteries collected from France and nearby countries.

The facility will extract a "black mass" that contains lithium, nickel, and cobalt. 

These materials will undergo further processing before being used in battery production.

This marks LG Energy Solution's first battery recycling venture in Europe. 

Battery manufacturers are preparing for EU regulations that will require a minimum level of recycled content in batteries sold in Europe starting in 2031.

Chang Beom Kang, LG Energy Solution's chief strategy officer, said the project would secure a "stable and cost-competitive supply of recycled battery materials."

According to the press release, Derichebourg operates 200 collection sites in France and 285 globally.

"This partnership supports our ambition to develop industrial solutions with environmental added value," Derichebourg CEO Abderrahmane El Aoufir said.

The companies announced plans to expand their partnership in battery recycling.