Top Story

Manufacturing modern battery cells places stringent demands on the environment in which they are produced. Controlling moisture, particulate matter, and potential emissions is especially critical. While dry rooms have long been established in conventional lithium-ion production, new battery types and specialized applications are introducing additional challenges. We spoke with Bahattin Celik, dry room expert at Weiss Technik, about how dry room requirements are currently evolving — and why these specialized production environments are becoming a priority once again. Dry rooms have been a central component of battery cell production for years. What role do they play today in practice — and why is moisture control so critical for many battery types? Dry rooms are no longer a ‘nice to have’ — they are an absolute prerequisite for many battery manufacturing processes. Depending on the cell chemistry, moisture directly interferes with the electrochemical properties and can significantly impact both performance and lifetime. Particularly in early process steps, such as electrode manufacturing or cell assembly, even trace amounts of water are enough to cause problems that only manifest weeks or months later in the field. That is why maintaining a stable, reproducible dry room atmosphere is critical. Does this apply equally to all battery types — or do requirements differ significantly depending on the application? The differences can be substantial. Conventional NMC or LFP battery cells — for example, those used in automotive applications — are already sensitive to moisture, but many specialty batteries are considerably more critical. For certain types, even minimal deviations from the target dew point can irreversibly damage materials. Add to this the fact that in specialty applications we frequently work not with high production volumes, but with very precisely defined processes. There is little margin for error, and the requirements for stability and process control are correspondingly higher. Where do you see the most significant differences between dry rooms for conventional automotive cells and those for specialty batteries — for example, in defense or aerospace applications? Automotive battery dry rooms are strongly oriented toward throughput and standardization — which makes perfect sense. Specialty batteries are exactly the opposite: smaller material quantities, unique cell chemistries, and often elevated safety requirements. Production processes must be more flexible, since reconfigurations inside the dry room are more frequent, and there are often additional requirements stemming from explosion protection or hazardous materials regulations. All of this has a major influence on dry room design — from airflow management to sensor systems, filtration, and controls. You also work with battery types such as thermal batteries and thionyl chloride cells. What makes these applications particularly demanding from a dry room engineering perspective? Thermal batteries involve highly reactive, extremely moisture-sensitive materials — sometimes in powder or pellet form. Other systems use aggressive or unstable media that must also be handled safely. From a dry room perspective, this means very stable dew points, controlled particulate levels, and at the same time a high degree of process safety. The fact that only very small quantities of materials are processed makes control and monitoring even more challenging. Why do conventional gas detection systems and sensors struggle with very small quantities of substances? Many gas detection systems and sensors are designed for standard industrial applications. In extremely dry air and with very low emission levels, these systems quickly reach their physical detection limits. Measurement signals become unstable or fall near the detection threshold. In an emergency, this can be problematic, because trends or gradual changes are recognized too late — posing a risk to both personnel and product. In the specialty battery environment, simply monitoring threshold values is usually not sufficient. What solutions are available? Do sensor systems and safety concepts need to be specifically adapted for such environments? Absolutely. In these applications, sensor systems, gas detection concepts, and filtration must be developed in an integrated system. This can mean incorporating additional filtration stages or repositioning measurement points — for example, closer to the hazard source, or through the use of redundant sensors. The suitability of sensors for extremely dry ambient conditions must also be factored into the technical selection process. The control strategy plays a central role as well: it is not simply a matter of ‘alarm yes or no,’ but rather how the overall system responds to even the smallest deviations. For instance, when detecting hazardous substances, a pre-alarm level can be used to initiate technical countermeasures in the system at an early stage, preventing harm to personnel or product. In most cases, this is not purely a hardware issue, but rather a combination of well-thought-out design, intelligent programming, and the experience required for accurate hazard assessment. You mention specialized adaptations in sensor systems and filters. Another concept that plays a role here is that of mini environments. What is behind this term? Mini environments are essentially locally enclosed battery production units within a dry room that provide even stricter or more specialized conditions. Rather than bringing the entire dry room to an extremely low dew point, the focus is placed selectively on the truly critical process steps and production equipment along the battery manufacturing line. This increases process reliability while also being economically sensible — particularly for smaller production runs or changing production layouts. Comparing these concepts — the conventional dry room, the mini environment, and taking it one step further: micro environments, i.e., the complete encapsulation of the process itself — what are the respective strengths of each, and which approach is right for which use case? The conventional dry room is robust and easily accessible — ideal for many standard processes. Mini environments offer an excellent balance of control, flexibility, and cost. Micro environments — fully enclosed sections within the production equipment — enable maximum control, but also come with significant demands in terms of maintenance, service, and emergency procedures. The right solution depends heavily on the process, the cell chemistry, and the operational requirements. There is no blanket ‘better or worse’ answer. Micro environments sound attractive at first — less space, more

From May 18–21, 2026, Cambridge EnerTech will host the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC) Europe in Mainz, Germany — one of the most important global platforms for automotive battery innovation. The conference takes place at a moment when Europe remains firmly committed to electrification, even as policy frameworks and market momentum continue to vary significantly across the continent. From cell chemistry to recycling to AI The AABC Europe 2026 program reflects the full breadth of today’s industry priorities. Established areas such as cell chemistry and battery materials sit alongside newer fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and heavy-duty applications. The entire event features 12 tracks, 11 tutorials, and more than 200 speakers. The Battery Engineering track focuses on advances in cell and pack design, safety, and battery management. Kenji Hosaka from Nissan will present the battery innovations behind the new LEAF (third generation), while Wieslaw Brys of Amazon Robotics will demonstrate what BMS data can reveal about safety and efficiency in real-world operations. The AI for Energy Storage track explores how AI is accelerating battery research — from automated electrode characterization to foundation models for vehicle fleets. One key takeaway from the session is that without physics-based models and real-world test data, AI approaches risk missing real-world conditions. Hybrid models that combine simulation and machine learning are emerging as a promising path forward. The Battery Recycling track puts market trends and regulatory developments front and center — including export restrictions on black mass, a ten-year outlook on the recycling landscape, and the business implications of new EU frameworks on recycling efficiency. That electrification is no longer just a passenger vehicle story is underscored by the EV Technology for Heavy-Duty Applications track, which examines battery chemistries for trucks, buses, and off-highway equipment — with contributions from Daimler Truck AG on LMFP-NMC chemistry and from Accelera by Cummins on hybrid battery solutions. New materials and testing concepts on the exhibition floor Alongside the conference program, the exhibition showcases where component and manufacturing development is heading. Purem by Eberspächer is presenting a battery housing made from high-strength steel — a viable alternative to aluminum, which has dominated the market to date. Thinner wall sections allow for lighter housings without sacrificing structural integrity, while the concept also claims improvements in CO₂ footprint and recyclability. The design is already in mass production in Asia; a stainless steel variant for the European market is being developed in collaboration with an industry consortium. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is showcasing advanced cell caps for prismatic cells alongside novel nonwoven sleeves designed to protect and electrically isolate the cell stack — an alternative to conventional polypropylene and PET films. Dr. Peter Kritzer will present the solutions in a dedicated talk on May 21. Publicly funded research also has a presence: the EU project FASTEST (Fast-track hybrid testing platform for the development of battery systems) will present progress on linking physical test benches with digital twins — with the goal of meaningfully reducing development timelines. The work is being carried out together with Finnish research partner VTT. Battery development as a systems challenge What AABC Europe 2026 makes clear above all else: battery innovation is no longer just a question of cell chemistry. Recycling, AI, heavy-duty applications, new materials — these areas are deeply interconnected. Developing the next generation of traction batteries requires keeping the entire system in view. For Germany and Europe, the timing of the conference couldn’t be better. Cross-industry exchange between OEMs, suppliers, startups, and research institutions is more critical than ever — particularly given ongoing regulatory uncertainty and intensifying global competition. The Battery News team will be on-site. Come find us at booth 912 — we look forward to seeing you there!

Battery-News provides an overview of planned and already implemented projects in the field of active materials for lithium-ion batteries in Europe. The map was first published as part of the “Battery Atlas 2026.” A high-resolution file is available as a free download. If a company is missing or if there are general comments, the Battery-News editorial team will be happy to receive a message.

Falling battery costs are a key driver of the continued growth of electric mobility. Yet this very trend could undermine the current recycling model. While batteries are becoming cheaper, they are simultaneously losing material value—with direct consequences for the economic viability of recycling. Technological change in the battery market has accelerated over the past years: Within lithium-ion technologies, more cost-effective variants such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) are gaining increasing importance, while nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells remain primarily in the high-performance premium segment. At the same time, new technologies such as sodium-ion batteries are coming into focus. Shift in cell chemistries is changing the market This development is confirmed by various market analyses. The International Energy Agency points out that as the share of low-cobalt cell chemistries increases, the economic conditions for recycling are also changing—and that regulatory mechanisms could play a greater role in the future. According to BloombergNEF, prices for LFP batteries are significantly lower than those of NMC systems and have played a key role in driving down average battery costs in recent years. A recent analysis by the GRS Batterien Foundation comes to a similar conclusion: According to the study, LFP could achieve a market share of around 60% by 2030 in the base scenario—and even up to 80% with faster technological progress. Looking ahead, sodium-ion batteries are also likely to gain increasing market share. Forecast of demand trends for battery storage capacity in the EU by valuable and non-valuable cell chemistries (in tonnes) By 2035, the share of valuable batteries will decline significantly. Why recycling has been economically viable so far The existing recycling model for lithium-ion batteries has so far relied heavily on the recovery of valuable metals. Nickel and cobalt, in particular, play a key role in covering the costs of collection, transport, and processing. Especially for NMC batteries, the material value is a central economic factor. Recycling therefore makes sense not only from an environmental perspective but can also be economically viable under certain conditions. Less valuable materials, same effort However, as cell chemistries evolve, this logic is shifting. LFP batteries largely do without nickel and cobalt, while sodium-ion batteries rely on even more cost-effective and globally available materials. However, this shift does not affect all segments equally: According to forecasts, NMC batteries will primarily remain in the high-performance premium segment. This means that while the raw material-driven recycling model will remain viable in the premium segment for some time, it is coming under pressure particularly where the largest volumes are generated—in the mass market for electric mobility and in stationary storage systems. The key point: The technical and logistical effort involved in recycling remains high—regardless of cell chemistry. At the same time, however, the economic return from the recovered materials is declining. An analysis by the GRS Batterien Foundation also indicates that, with the increasing prevalence of cost-effective cell chemistries, existing revenue models could come under pressure. Recycling risks becoming an unprofitable business As a result, the existing balance between costs and revenues is shifting. While recycling is currently supported in part by material revenues, it could become more dependent on external factors in the future—such as regulatory requirements or new financing mechanisms. The industry has long pointed out that business models in battery recycling must adapt to changing material structures. The industry is thus facing a fundamental shift: away from a primarily raw material-driven approach toward more systemically organized circular models. New business models and regulatory solutions are needed In this context, regulatory frameworks and new business models are gaining importance. The EU Battery Regulation already focuses on extended producer responsibility and mandatory recycling targets. In the future, recycling could evolve more toward a regulated system in which financing is no longer primarily based on material values but on mandatory contributions along the value chain. At the same time, new approaches are emerging: Uncertain forecasts, clear trend However, it is difficult to predict how quickly and to what extent this development will take place. Forecasts regarding market development and the prevalence of individual cell chemistries vary considerably in some cases—as the GRS analysis itself points out. Nevertheless, a clear trend is emerging—and industry experts estimate that the momentum is in some cases even greater than market models suggest, particularly for sodium-ion batteries. The transition to more cost-effective battery technologies is transforming not only production but also the logic of the circular economy. Conclusion: A systemic shift rather than optimization For the recycling industry, this means more than just adapting existing processes. Rather, it marks a fundamental system shift. In the future, recycling will be determined less by the value of individual raw materials and more by regulatory requirements, industrial strategies, and the organization of functioning material cycles. Consequently, the central question is no longer just how batteries can be recycled—but under what economic conditions this will happen in the future. Sources: Stiftung GRS Batterien / Macrom — „Entwicklung der Batteriezellchemien in der EU bis 2035″, March 2026https://www.stiftung-grs.de/fileadmin/Downloads/Sonstige_Downloads/Marktstudie_Zellchemien_im_Wandel_GRS-PM.pdf IEA — Global EV Outlook 2024, Kapitel: Outlook for battery and energy demandhttps://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/outlook-for-battery-and-energy-demand IEA — Recycling of Critical Minerals, Executive Summaryhttps://www.iea.org/reports/recycling-of-critical-minerals/executive-summary BloombergNEF — Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Prices Fall to $108/kWh, December 2025https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-transport/lithium-ion-battery-pack-prices-fall-to-108-per-kilowatt-hour-despite-rising-metal-prices-bloombergnef Fastmarkets — „European LFP recycling vital for future but facing economic barriers”https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/european-lfp-recycling-vital-for-future-but-facing-economic-barriers-lme-week/ C&EN / American Chemical Society — „Lithium-ion battery recycling goes large”https://cen.acs.org/environment/recycling/Lithium-ion-battery-recycling-goes/101/i38

As public transportation becomes increasingly electrified, the management of traction batteries is taking center stage for transit companies. Berlin’s public transit authority BVG is therefore using digital battery passports from Dortmund-based technology provider Spherity for part of its electric bus fleet. The goal is to make operational data available in a structured format across the entire battery lifecycle—from use in service to second-life applications and recycling. BVG already operates more than 300 electric buses with batteries of up to 700 kWh capacity. By the early 2030s, the fleet is expected to grow to around 1,500 vehicles. This will also place significantly higher demands on maintenance, condition monitoring, and documentation of high-voltage batteries in operation. To help manage these requirements, BVG is already testing the digital battery passport in 55 buses. Data access via QR code At its core, the digital battery passport is a structured dataset hosted in a decentralized, cloud-based infrastructure. Spherity relies on open standards and a decentralized identity architecture (SSI – Self-Sovereign Identity), which ensures that data access is traceable and tamper-proof. Authorized parties can access information via a unique identifier—in the case of the BVG, a QR code on the battery housing. This includes, among other things, data For transit companies, such a data framework can help better plan maintenance measures and assess the condition of individual battery systems more transparently. At the same time, relevant information for later phases of use or recycling processes can be documented early on. Relevance for regulatory requirements Digital battery passports are also gaining importance in light of new European regulations. The EU Battery Regulation (BATT 2.0) and the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) stipulate that comprehensive information on the lifecycle must be available for certain battery categories in the future. This includes data on sustainability, material composition, and performance. For the BVG, this is not an abstract regulatory framework: its first 228 e-buses saved nearly nine million liters of diesel and approximately 30,000 metric tons of CO₂ between 2019 and 2024—figures that could be automatically documented and reported via the battery passport in the future. Standardized data models can help companies meet these requirements and efficiently provide evidence for audits or sustainability reports. At the same time, new demands arise regarding IT integration, data quality, and access management. Foundation for data-driven fleet management In addition to regulatory aspects, transit companies also see potential in digital battery passports for operational fleet management. Manufacturers can provide additional technical documentation, such as maintenance manuals or schematics, in digital form. This allows service processes to be accelerated and information to be managed centrally. Structured data exchange can also benefit authorities or testing organizations, for example during technical inspections or environmental assessments. However, this requires that interfaces be designed to be interoperable and that data protection and security requirements be met. “The battery passport is not an end in itself—it becomes an operational tool. It provides transparency regarding a battery’s condition, origin, and compliance-related information, supports predictive maintenance planning, reduces manual effort, and facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements throughout the lifecycle,” says Ricky Thiermann, Head of Product Management at Spherity. Focus on second life and recycling In bus operations, traction batteries typically reach a stage after ten to 15 years at which their capacity is no longer sufficient for use in the vehicle. In many cases, however, they can still be used as stationary energy storage systems—a so-called second-life scenario that significantly extends their overall service life. Initial pilot projects are underway, for example, at a well-known discount store. Recycling, during which up to 95 percent of the materials can be recovered, only takes place at the end of the extended lifecycle. A digital battery passport can provide relevant information on material composition or the so-called “state of health” during these later stages of use. For recycling companies, this can simplify process planning and help recover valuable materials more efficiently. A cornerstone for transparent battery supply chains With the increasing adoption of digital battery passports, a more comprehensive database is emerging along the entire value chain. This could enable transit operators, manufacturers, service providers, and recyclers to collaborate more closely. At the same time, the example from Berlin shows that the practical implementation of such solutions involves organizational and technical challenges—such as standardizing data formats or integrating them into existing IT systems. Nevertheless, as electric mobility gains momentum, the need for transparent information about batteries is growing noticeably. The experience gained so far with Spherity’s battery passports at BVG shows how digital battery passports can evolve from a regulatory requirement into a practical operational tool—and thus serve as a blueprint for other public transport operators in Europe. Based on information from Spherity GmbH, the article was updated on April 20, 2026. Sources:https://www.bvg.de/de/unternehmen/nachhaltige-mobilitaet/flotte/e-mobilitaethttps://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/mobilitaet-und-verkehr/verkehrsplanung/oeffentlicher-personennahverkehr/elektro-busse

Battery recycling has made enormous strides in recent years. Regulations are in place, and capacity is growing. What is often overlooked is that the crucial step happens before the shredder—during disassembly. This article examines an underestimated bottleneck, pack architectures that hinder the circular economy, and an approach that turns automated robots into the solution. In the public debate, battery recycling has gained significant momentum in recent years: The regulatory framework is in place, capacities are growing, and interest in raw materials is high. What is rarely discussed, however, is: The crucial step does not take place in the smelting furnace or during hydrometallurgical processing—it happens before that, during disassembly. Before a high-voltage battery can be recycled, it must be dismantled: into modules, cells, copper and aluminum components, circuit boards, and plastics. This step plays a decisive role in determining the quality of the resulting material stream. Three challenges are particularly critical: the high physical effort involved, the significant safety requirements when handling high-voltage systems—and a skilled labor market that works against manual scaling. The startup R3 Robotics has turned this into a mission: Automating disassembly not only solves a process issue; it creates the conditions for a functioning circular economy. Software-enabled hardware: The R3 Robotics approach R3 Robotics was founded by Antoine Welter and Xavier Kohl. Kohl earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Soft Robotics at ETH Zurich; Welter comes from a background in strategy consulting and B2B sales, but has focused on battery systems and the circular economy for years. Their core premise: The key lies not in the recycling process itself, but in the clean material stream leading up to it—and that can only be achieved through intelligent disassembly. To this end, the company operates a fully certified recycling facility in Kuppenheim near Karlsruhe. A decision that initially met with resistance from investors—investors tend to favor “asset-light models,” Welter admits. But without their own facility, the founders are convinced, models cannot be trained and processes cannot be tested on an industrial scale. There is also a practical sales argument: in practice, European industrial customers often work exclusively with certified facilities. The site serves as both a demonstration and development center; customers want to see the technology before they invest. In 2023, R3 Robotics won the European Innovation Council Accelerator. The founders describe the technical core as “software-enabled hardware”—a term chosen deliberately. Robots alone are not enough. Customized end-effectors are needed—that is, grippers and tools on the robot arm—tailored to the specific pack architecture. Combined with computer vision, the system autonomously recognizes which package is on the tool carrier and initiates the corresponding disassembly process. „Robotics alone does not solve the problem. It requires customized end-effectors, computer vision, and the process knowledge of how software and hardware work together. “  — Antoine Welter, co-founder of R3 Robotics R3 Robotics internally refers to these combinations of tool hardware and software intelligence as “skills.” Two to three new ones are developed each quarter, as pack architectures are constantly changing. The system is dual-configurable, meaning it is equipped to handle two different pack types simultaneously, and flexibly processes a wide variety of battery types. This reflects real-world conditions at recycling facilities: packs arrive in mixed batches, not sorted. The nominal system capacity (nameplate capacity) is approximately 1,600 tons per year with 1.5-shift operation. In the medium term, R3 Robotics is focusing on a Robotics-as-a-Service model: The systems are to be operated directly at the customer’s site—at recyclers or OEMs—because battery logistics are a significant cost factor and the regulatory requirements for transporting high-voltage batteries quickly undermine the business case. Why manual disassembly is no longer feasible Battery disassembly is physically demanding. Welter has experienced this firsthand: „I once disassembled three batteries in a single day. I’m 6 feet 6 inches tall, weigh 220 pounds, and I’m not the type to shy away from hard work. It’s really, really hard work.”  — Antoine Welter Vehicle batteries are simply not designed for manual disassembly. Bolted and glued packs require considerable force, lifting modules pushes the limits of occupational safety guidelines, and the entire process takes place in close proximity to high-voltage systems. The robot has a structural advantage here: It never gets tired, never loses focus, and if something does go wrong, an end-effector burns out—not a human hand. Another factor is a scaling problem that is already acute in the U.S. and is becoming increasingly noticeable in Europe: a shortage of skilled workers. Welter reports from conversations with American recyclers that qualified personnel are migrating to the booming data center sector—with correspondingly better pay. Without skilled workers, manual scaling becomes impossible, no matter how much the volume increases. Second life first, recycling last R3 Robotics postions itself not as a recycler, but as an upstream process provider: disassembly, sorting, condition assessment. The result is clean material streams for various uses—intact modules for second-life applications, copper, aluminum, plastics, and battery management systems for reuse. Only what is truly no longer usable goes to the shredder. R3 Robotics has implemented this tiered model—reuse, then second life, then recycling—in a project with Amazon: Batteries from Rivian vehicles in Amazon’s delivery fleet are disassembled. Intact modules are first used in stationary energy storage systems for solar installations; after all, Amazon is one of the world’s largest solar operators. Only at the end of this second life are the materials sent for recycling. Clean disassembly is the enabler for all three stages. Growing market, growing pressure The market dynamics are clear: According to Global Market Insights, the European market for lithium-ion battery recycling is estimated at around $2 billion in 2025, with an expected annual growth rate of around 20 percent through 2034. According to Fraunhofer ISI, European pre-treatment capacity has doubled to around 300,000 tons per year by the end of 2024. By 2040, Strategy& (PwC) expects 6 million tons of end-of-life batteries in the European market alone. On the demand side, the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) sets the framework: It requires manufacturers to take back end-of-life

Battery-News provides an overview of companies in the field of Quality Assurance for lithium-ion batteries in Europe. The underlying data come from official announcements by the respective players and reliable sources from the battery production environment. The map was first published as part of the “Battery Atlas 2026.” A high-resolution file is available as a free download. If a company is missing or if there are general comments, the Battery-News editorial team will be happy to receive a message.

In an exclusive interview with Battery-News, Christoph Gasiorek from BAHMÜLLER explains the role that process stability plays in the competitiveness of battery production.

Battery-News provides an overview of planned and already implemented projects in the field of module and pack production for lithium-ion batteries in Europe.

ANDRITZ Schuler has delivered a 1.5-gigawatt formation line to a leading battery manufacturer in southern Germany, producing cells for a renowned German OEM.