New Facility Enhances Singapore’s Battery Recycling Efforts with Vertical Design
KGS, a leading e-waste and battery recycler, has inaugurated its first battery recycling plant in Singapore on October 24, 2023. The new facility is set to process up to 2,600 tonnes of batteries annually, increasing the local capacity for battery recycling by over 30%. This addition brings the total local capacity to more than 11,000 tonnes, making it a significant step towards addressing the growing challenge of managing end-of-life batteries, particularly from electric vehicles (EVs) and information and communications technology (ICT) equipment.
The facility is designed with vertical construction to optimize space, allowing it to process dismantled and shredded batteries into “black mass” for further refinement. Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Amy Khor, emphasized the importance of building resilience and capacity in the battery recycling sector, particularly as the volume of EV and lithium-ion batteries increases due to digitalization and the rise of electric vehicles.
KGS aims to operate the plant for about eight hours a day, processing up to three tonnes of batteries per day initially. The company is actively working to scale up operations and has signed agreements with suppliers in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. As part of its long-term strategy, KGS also plans to refine the black mass into raw materials like cobalt and lithium, which can be used to produce new batteries, adding significant value to the recycling process.
KGS’s efforts to expand the recycling capacity are aligned with Singapore’s commitment to sustainability, creating both economic and environmental benefits by conserving resources and enabling the reuse of materials for new batteries.
