Cylib acquires Wernberg‑Köblitz battery recycling plant to secure EV‑battery feedstock

Aachen‑based recycling firm Cylib has purchased the former Roth International battery‑recycling site in Wernberg‑Köblitz, Bavaria. The plant, which was idle after Roth’s insolvency and the arrest of its former CEO on alleged illegal waste‑transport charges, will be modernised and brought back into operation by the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to environmental approval. It is designed to handle up to 10,000 tonnes of spent electric‑vehicle batteries per year and will reach full capacity by the end of 2027.

The acquisition gives Cylib direct access to used EV batteries, adding an upstream step to its existing hydrometallurgy operations at Dormagen, where recovered black mass is processed into lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese. Cylib plans to integrate the Wernberg‑Köblitz site into a broader collection and pre‑processing network, addressing the EU‑wide bottleneck of secured battery‑feedstock supply.

The deal reflects consolidation in the European battery‑recycling sector, where financially stronger players are absorbing assets from smaller, under‑capitalised firms.