As electrification reshapes the global automotive industry, a significant competition is underway to determine whether electric mobility becomes economically sustainable at scale. Stena Recycling’s expansion of its investment in electric vehicle batteries beyond SEK 500 million marks a decisive shift in how the battery value chain is being re-engineered.
From Battery Waste to Strategic Asset
The global end-of-life EV battery market is projected to reach SEK 260 billion within the next decade. While early industry focus centred on recycling to recover critical minerals, automotive batteries are lasting longer than anticipated, unlocking a rapidly expanding opportunity: second-life battery reuse.
EV batteries with remaining capacity can be redeployed into:
- Industrial equipment such as forklifts
- Stationary energy storage systems
- Grid-balancing and renewable integration solutions
These batteries can generate an additional seven to ten years of economic value before final recycling.
End-to-End Lifecycle Capabilities
Unlike competitors focused solely on recycling throughput, Stena builds comprehensive lifecycle capabilities spanning battery health diagnostics, reuse pathway engineering, regulatory-compliant transport, and final material recovery.
Reuse as Profit Centre
“Batteries are valuable assets—not liabilities. Demand is accelerating for solutions that extend battery life before recycling.”—Marcus Martinsson, Product Area Manager for Batteries, Stena Recycling Group
Stena expects battery-related operations to generate SEK 500 million in annual turnover within five to seven years.
European Scale
With one of Europe’s largest battery recycling facilities in Halmstad, Sweden, and expanding operations across Poland, Germany, and Italy, Stena is laying the foundation for a pan-European battery circularity platform.
Executive Takeaway
For CEOs, investors, and policymakers, Stena’s move reinforces three global realities: battery reuse will be as economically important as recycling; circular battery models will define EV profitability, not just sustainability; and lifecycle control is becoming a strategic advantage in the energy transition.
