Ecobat, the global leader in battery recycling, Trafigura, a leading global supplier of commodities, are pleased to announce that they have entered into a binding agreement for the sale of Ecobat Resources Stolberg GmbH (ERS) which owns the Stolberg multi-metals processing plant in Germany. The Stolberg plant will be operated and managed by Nyrstar, an international multi-metals mining and smelting company and market leader in the production of zinc and lead metal. Nyrstar is 98 percent owned by the Trafigura Group.

Ecobat is a leader in the collection, recycling, production, and distribution of energy storage solutions. It has operations in Europe, the United States, and Africa, and focuses on lead and lithium battery collection and recycling management services to empower sustainability efforts around the world.

“The sale of ERS is consistent with our strategy to concentrate on our core business of battery recycling and represents a significant step in the rationalization of our portfolio,” said Marcus Randolph, CEO of Ecobat.

“Combining the Stolberg plant with Nyrstar, which operates three European zinc smelters within a 300-kilometer radius of the Stolberg plant, offers a unique opportunity to leverage several of Nyrstar’s by-products as feed material for the Stolberg multi-metal business, offering locally produced strategic materials to Europe’s critical growth markets with a reduced carbon footprint and increased efficiency,”said Daniel Vanin, CEO of Nyrstar. “We look forward to welcoming the highly engaged Stolberg team to Nyrstar and are excited to continue to grow a business which offers highly relevant materials for the fast-evolving European green transition.”

The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions precedent including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. Completion is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2022.