tozero has launched its first industrial demonstration plant for lithium-ion battery recycling at Chemical Park Gendorf in Bavaria, Germany. The facility can process more than 1,500 metric tons of battery waste per year. It produces lithium carbonate, graphite, and a nickel-cobalt mix from end-of-life batteries. The company said the plant was built in six months.
Highlights
- Industrial-scale recovery: The Gendorf plant produces high-purity lithium carbonate, graphite, and nickel-cobalt mix from end-of-life batteries using an acid-free hydrometallurgical process.
- Speed to market: tozero went from lab-scale experiments to industrial operations in under four years, with the demo plant built in six months.
- EU regulatory alignment: The facility supports the EU Critical Raw Materials Act target of sourcing 25% of supply from recycling.
- Commercial qualification: tozero has qualified its recycled lithium and graphite with cathode and anode manufacturers for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Process and Output
tozero’s proprietary process uses an acid-free, hydrometallurgical method. It recovers materials in a single cycle at purities sufficient for direct reuse in manufacturing. The company said its output is equivalent to diverting 6,000 electric vehicles’ worth of batteries from landfill annually.
The recovered materials target multiple sectors. These include construction, ceramics, and lubricants, with additional industries planned. tozero has also completed pilots with BMW, MAN, and other automotive OEMs.
“Europe doesn’t yet have the critical raw materials it needs to build and scale its own energy transition and battery industry,” said Sarah Fleischer, co-founder and CEO of tozero. “Our technology changes this by enabling us to recycle end-of-life batteries and extract these materials at industrial scale for the first time.”
Europe’s Critical Raw Materials Gap
Europe remains heavily dependent on imports for key battery materials. China controls global graphite supplies, and 99% of Europe’s lithium comes from abroad. Meanwhile, global lithium demand is projected to quadruple by 2030. EU graphite demand alone could rise by up to 25 times by 2040, driven by EVs, grid-scale storage, and industrial electrification.
According to tozero, a global supply gap exceeding 33% is expected from 2035 onward. As a result, battery recycling is positioned as a necessary alternative source for critical raw materials.
“Scaling our technology from lab to industrial production in such a short time is a defining milestone for any deep-tech founder and marks the transition from development to real-world validation at industrial scale,” said Dr. Ksenija Milicevic Neumann, co-founder and CTO of tozero.
Scale-Up Timeline and Track Record
tozero was founded in 2022 by Fleischer, a mechanical engineer and serial entrepreneur, and Dr. Milicevic Neumann, a metallurgy specialist. In April 2024, the company became the first in Europe to deliver recycled lithium to commercial customers. In February 2025, it became the first in Europe to qualify 100% recycled graphite for lithium-ion battery cell production.
The company reports a lithium recovery rate above 80%, already meeting the EU’s 2031 recycling target. tozero currently works with partners across 10 European countries.
The demo plant will serve as the blueprint for a full-scale commercial facility planned for 2030. That operation would produce thousands of metric tons of lithium carbonate and graphite annually.
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