Costa rica lithium-ion energy storage battery project

How are batteries used in Costa Rica?

“The batteries that arrive from Asia, Europe or the United States to Costa Rica are used here, end their useful life, are recycled, the materials are recovered and sent, for example, to Europe for the production of new batteries in a circular economy logic,” said Kruse.

Can a battery be used for urban mining in Costa Rica?

Daniel Rivas, technical manager in charge of batteries at Fortech, said that they are looking to “recover the materials to be able to carry out urban mining” and not have to “go to a mine to do more damage to the environment”. Mining is prohibited by law in Costa Rica.

How many tons of lithium batteries can a battery collection system process?

The system has been operating since December 2022, with the capacity to process about 1,000 tons of lithium batteries per year. In November 2022, the Pilot Plan for a permanent collection system for exhausted lithium batteries was launched as a result of a partnership between FORTECH and GIZ.

How many tons a year can a lithium battery process?

They validated the designs with German universities and built machinery that can recover 98% of the material that makes up the battery. The system has been operating since December 2022, with the capacity to process about 1,000 tons of lithium batteries per year.

Where do lithium batteries come from?

Lithium batteries are found in cell phones, laptops, and other rechargeable electrical devices, as well as in cars, scooters, bicycles, and other increasingly popular means of electric transportation. FORTECH has processed about 150 tons to date.

Is mining illegal in Costa Rica?

Mining is prohibited by law in Costa Rica. This Fortech plant “makes Costa Rica a pioneer in Latin America in the valorization of used lithium batteries,” notes the German Development Cooperation Agency GIZ. The University of Aachen in Germany estimates that by 2028 the amount of discarded batteries will exceed the recycling capacity in Europe.