Vianode and Fortum Battery Recycling join forces to advance sustainable EV battery recycling value chain
Oslo, Norway, May 13, 2025 – Vianode, an advanced battery materials company, and Fortum Battery Recycling, a specialist in recycling valuable metals from electric vehicle (EV) batteries, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on developing a sustainable EV battery recycling value chain.
Under the agreement, the two companies will work together to:
- Secure supplies of high-quality recycled graphite concentrate from Fortum’s hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta, Finland
- Develop and optimize recycled graphite materials for use in Vianode’s commercial-scale anode production
- Evaluate and enhance the performance of recycled graphite in advanced battery components
"Recycling graphite from end-of-life batteries is vital to reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, lower carbon emissions, and build sustainable supply chains. Access to recycled graphite concentrate with potential to scale volumes over time will support Vianode’s ambition to deliver high-quality anode materials with an industry-leading CO₂ footprint below 1 kilogram CO₂e per kilogram of graphite by 2030”, says Dr. Stefan Bergold, Chief Commercial Officer of Vianode.
Graphite anode material represents the largest component of lithium-ion batteries by weight, typically around 70 kilograms per EV. By integrating recycled graphite into its production processes, Vianode aims to accelerate the development of low-carbon, high-performance battery materials.
“Fortum Battery Recycling and Vianode have a shared commitment to a more sustainable and less resource-intensive EV battery industry. By recovering valuable and critical graphite from used batteries and returning it to the cycle as battery-grade material, we help enable the production of new lithium-ion batteries with a significantly lower environmental footprint,” says Tero Holländer, Head of Business Line, Batteries, Fortum Recycling & Waste.
Vianode recently launched its first high-performance anode material made from recycled battery-grade graphite as part of the company’s strategy of creating the world’s most sustainable anode graphite and enable a truly circular North American and European battery value chain.
Towards 2030, Europe is expected to see a significant increase in battery recycling as the first generation of EVs reaches the end of their life and new EU legislation requires higher recovery rates and the use of recycled materials in new batteries.
About Vianode
Vianode is an advanced battery materials company providing sustainable anode graphite solutions for the battery and EV value chains in North America and Europe. Vianode’s breakthrough solution enables tailored high-performance synthetic anode graphite and a holistic sustainability offering including a 90% reduction in CO2 footprint. Vianode operates the world's most sustainable full-scale anode graphite plant for batteries Via ONE at Herøya, Norway. The next step involves executing a multi-billion dollar phased investment program dedicated to establishing large-scale plants across North America and Europe.
Vianode’s long-term ambition is to supply advanced battery materials to 3 million EVs per year by 2030. Vianode is owned by the world-leading financial company Altor.
About Fortum Battery Recycling
Fortum Battery Recycling offers recycling services for lithium-ion batteries and battery production waste and recovers valuable battery metals to produce sustainable recycled raw materials for reuse. We have Europe’s largest closed-loop hydrometallurgical battery recycling facility in Harjavalta, Finland and pretreatment and mechanical operations hubs in Germany and in Finland. Fortum Battery Recycling is part of Fortum business portfolio.
Contact:
Caroline Schmailzl
Corporate Development and Communication
Tel +49 151 432 69784
Email [email protected]