Used battery expert Sortbat Belgium acquires Høyenergi Norway

Sortbat, a subsidiary of Bebat, a Belgian non-profit association that processes used batteries, is acquiring the Norwegian Høyenergi. Together, they want to strengthen Belgium and Norway’s position in managing large batteries, including those of electric vehicles, maritime applications, and energy storage systems. This acquisition anticipates the increasing amount of end-of-life batteries in Europe.

The global battery market, worth over $250 billion, has been growing at an annual rate of 16% since 2016. The electric vehicle battery market is growing at an impressive 46% per year. This rapid growth poses critical challenges for battery lifecycle management.

Specialist expertise

Therefore, Høyenergi, a subsidiary of Batteriretur, and Sortbat are developing a complete, safe, and scalable solution for managing high-energy and high-voltage batteries, from small home energy storage systems to EV batteries weighing hundreds of kg or industrial energy storage systems (BESS) weighing several tons.

Høyenergi has developed specialist expertise in managing critical large batteries that complements Sorbat’s expertise: knowledge of battery safety, dismantling techniques, operational processes, and advanced sorting and management capabilities.

Rare raw materials

Both partners aim to provide a complete solution for battery lifecycle management, including diagnostics and safe packaging, transport and discharge, dismantling and health assessments, reuse of battery modules and second-life applications, and recycling of non-functioning components.

Essential raw materials, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, are becoming increasingly scarce in Europe. They are vital for producing batteries, smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices.

Global supply chain

Optimizing material recovery from batteries will help reduce dependence on primary raw materials and strengthen Europe’s position in the global supply chain.

By anticipating future treatment needs, Bebat and Batteriretur, the two management organizations, together with Sortbat and Høyenergi, the two operating companies, are positioning Belgium and Norway as leaders in sustainable mobility and energy storage systems.

Who’s who?

Bebat, founded in 1995, is a Belgian non-profit association that collects, sorts, and recycles used batteries. Founded in 2010, subsidiary Sortbat is Europe’s leading specialist and pioneer for safely handling all types of used batteries. With 60% of the shares, it now becomes the majority shareholder of Høyenergi.

Batteriretur is a certified recycling company in Norway that specializes in collecting and recycling all types of batteries. Subsidiary Høyenergi was founded in 2014 to facilitate the collection, processing, and recycling of high-energy batteries in Norway.