ABB will deliver a complete electrification solution to Northvolt’s newly built battery recycling plant, Revolt Ett, located in Sweden
After completion, the factory can handle 125000 tons of waste batteries and battery production waste annually
As a long-term partner of ABB, Northvolt plans to reduce the carbon footprint of batteries by approximately 90% compared to current industry levels by 2030
With the increasing importance of green batteries in today’s energy transformation process, ABB and Northvolt’s long-term partnership in this field is further heating up. Since 2017, ABB has successively delivered a series of core electrification and automation equipment to the Northvolt Ett Swedish super factory, injecting power into its lithium-ion battery production.
ABB is providing process electrification services for Northvolt’s battery recycling plant
Revolt Ett
Nowadays, Northvolt is building its largest battery recycling factory, Revolt Ett, in Skellefte Å, northern Sweden, and has once again chosen ABB to provide process electrification services, further expanding the cooperation between the two parties to the field of battery recycling. The order was confirmed in the first quarter of 2023, and the specific financial details have not yet been disclosed.
After the completion of the Revolt Ett recycling plant, it will process 125000 tons of waste batteries and battery production waste annually, becoming a leader in similar factories worldwide. It will serve the Northvolt super factory in the same factory area, which launched a production block in 2022 and will subsequently complete the construction of other blocks to achieve an annual production target of 60 GWh.
Northvolt is committed to supplying various types of lithium-ion batteries to the automotive, industrial, and large-scale energy storage industries, promoting global energy transformation. According to data from the World Economic Forum, due to the popularity of electric vehicles, battery demand is expected to increase by 14 times before 2030, which has attracted the attention of the manufacturer.
ABB’s scope of supply includes various types of switchgear and speed converters, used to coordinate the production speed of various production lines, adjust power as needed, save energy and increase efficiency, and reduce maintenance needs.
The factory, as an important part of Northvolt’s sustainable development plan, will be put into operation in 2023. The company plans to reduce the carbon footprint of batteries to 10 kg per kilowatt hour (kWh) by 2030, compared to the industry reference benchmark of 98 kg per kWh. Northvolt Ett’s complete use of non fossil fuels to provide power is crucial for achieving this goal.
Emma Nehrenheim, Chief Environmental Officer of Northvolt, stated that,
Batteries are the core technology of energy transformation. With the increasing demand for batteries, it is particularly important to recycle old batteries and ensure a stable supply of key minerals. The new factory of Revolt Ett will help us achieve these two goals and fulfill our mission of producing green batteries.
As more and more batteries in the market reach their lifespan, the use of Revolt Ett battery material recycling and hydrometallurgy (hydromet) process to recover materials is expected to meet half of Northvolt Ett’s total demand for lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese raw materials. At that time, Northvolt’s factories in Sweden and Germany will have an annual production capacity of 150 GWh.
Staffan S ö derg Å rd, head of the battery manufacturing business unit of ABB Process Industry, stated that,
This is ABB’s first order in the strategically significant field of battery recycling. By partnering with trustworthy partners like Northvolt, we will create favorable conditions for helping users reduce carbon emissions, reuse materials, and protect critical supply chains. We are full of expectations for the progress of this project.
The Northvolt Ett Super Battery Factory is adjacent to Skellefte Å port in northern Sweden. As a European supplier of high-quality batteries and battery systems, it was created specifically to help Europe move towards a decarbonized future and is committed to providing green lithium batteries with a low-carbon footprint worldwide.
As early as 2017, Northvolt established a research and development park in V ä ster Å s, Sweden, and ABB became a partner of Northvolt. Afterwards, ABB Group invested in Northvolt through its ABB Technology Ventures (ATV) company. ABB and Northvolt have maintained cooperation in electrification and automation. Recently, Northvolt has chosen ABB’s Plant Optimization Methodology system to help track project execution progress by integrating electrification, instrumentation, control, and digitization (EICD) solutions to achieve efficient trial production and operation.