BMW Group and Encory launch direct battery recycling

The BMW Group and Encory GmbH have officially launched the new Cell Recycling Competence Center (CRCC) in Salching, Lower Bavaria. The center is part of a joint project to introduce an innovative direct recycling process for battery cells. For the construction and operation of the new competence center, the partners are relying on regional companies. The direct recycling process mechanically dismantles residual materials from battery cell production, including complete cells, and feeds the recovered raw materials directly back into the production cycle without fully restoring them to their original chemical state, thereby eliminating the need for energy-intensive chemical or thermal processes. The CRCC will gradually scale up this method, aiming for an annual recycling volume in the mid-double-digit ton range, with the reclaimed materials to be reused directly in the pilot production of battery cells at BMW's own Cell Manufacturing Competence Center (CMCC) in Parsdorf