Hydrovolt

What Hydrovolt does

Hydrovolt is a Norway-based mechanical battery recycling company operating the Nordic region's largest such facility in Fredrikstad, designed to process 12,000 tons of battery packs annually (equivalent to roughly 25,000 EVs). Founded in 2020 as a joint venture between Norsk Hydro and Northvolt, the company has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norsk Hydro since January 2025. It serves car importers, car dismantlers, and industrial companies with high-energy batteries across Norway and Sweden, producing low-carbon black mass for downstream hydrometallurgical refiners.

The company's core technology is a mechanical recycling process combining battery diagnosis and safety assessment, semi-automated discharge and dismantling (D&D), and dry crushing and sorting (C&S) under nitrogen inerting, yielding black mass containing lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and graphite. The October 2024 opening of what Hydrovolt describes as the world's most automated D&D line — featuring AGVs for 300+ kg battery packs and a 1.1 MWh battery energy storage system for residual energy recovery — was supported by 15.3 million NOK in Enova funding. The company reports a 99% total recycling rate, up to 85% material recovery across more than 400 battery types, and a verified carbon footprint of less than 0.2 kg CO2 per kg of black mass (75% below conventional mining and refining, per Minviro's LCA).

Hydrovolt operates a B2B services-and-commodity model. Revenue derives from negotiated per-unit processing fees paid by car importers, car dismantlers, and industrial customers under long-term service agreements, and from black mass sales to hydrometallurgical refiners including Posco HY Clean Metal (South Korea) and Fortum Battery Recycling (Finland). Distribution is anchored by approved treatment-operator status through producer responsibility organizations Autoretur Battery Recycling (Norway) and FoRetur (Sweden), with a three-year collection and logistics partnership with Ragn-Sells covering Sweden. The company maintains a digital customer portal for order call-off and tracking, was awarded 63 million NOK in investment financing from DNB and Eksfin in May 2024, and has grown headcount from approximately 60 employees at founding to 75 by December 2025. In February 2026, Hydrovolt exited its planned French recycling project to refocus on the core Nordic markets.

Name

Hydrovolt

Legal name

Hydrovolt

Website

https://hydrovolt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hydrovolt is a Norway-based mechanical battery recycling company operating the Nordic region's largest such facility in Fredrikstad, processing end-of-life EV and industrial batteries into low-carbon black mass for car importers and industrial customers across Norway and Sweden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Battery Recycling Services

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling) (EUAIAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery Recycling & Materials Recovery (Li-ion, LFP, Flow, Lead-Acid) (EUAMALAE), Collection, Logistics & Reverse Supply Chain (Transport, Sorting, Tracking) (EUAFACAA)

Keywords

• Battery recycling services
• EV battery recycling
• Black mass production
• Industrial battery processing
• Circular battery materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Fredrikstad

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Battery Recycling Processing Services: Hydrovolt charges car importers, car dismantlers, and industrial companies for the collection, discharge, dismantling, and recycling of end-of-life EV and industrial batteries. Services are sold through long-term partnership agreements under producer responsibility frameworks. The company operates a digital portal for order call-off and tracking.
2. Black Mass Sales: Hydrovolt produces and sells black mass — a powder containing critical battery materials (lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, graphite) — to hydrometallurgical processors. Key offtake partners include Posco HY Clean Metal in South Korea and Fortum Battery Recycling in Finland. Black mass undergoes further refinement into battery-grade materials for cathode production.
3. Reuse Assessment Services: Hydrovolt offers assessment for reuse upon request from importers for specific brands/models at both pack and module level. Reuse assessment evaluates whether batteries retain sufficient capacity for second-life applications before recycling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hydrovolt provides end-to-end mechanical recycling services for end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) and industrial batteries, operating the Nordic region's largest battery recycling plant in Fredrikstad, Norway with 12,000 tons annual capacity. The service includes collection, diagnosis, discharging, dismantling, and crushing & sorting, producing black mass (containing lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, graphite) that is sold to hydrometallurgical refiners. The company also offers reuse assessment services for second-life battery applications.

Product overview

Hydrovolt offers a unified battery recycling platform and service portfolio centered on its flagship recycling facility in Fredrikstad, Norway. The core offering combines collection logistics, reuse assessment, and mechanical recycling services (diagnosis, discharging, dismantling, crushing & sorting) that produce black mass as the primary output. Services are delivered through a customer digital portal and are supported by automated discharge/dismantling lines and autonomous crushing & sorting facilities. The company serves car importers, industrial companies, and car dismantlers across Norway and Sweden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Battery Recycling Services Comprehensive end-to-end mechanical battery recycling services including collection, diagnosis, discharging, dismantling, crushing, and sorting of electric vehicle and industrial batteries, producing black mass as the primary output. For car importers, car dismantlers, and industrial companies in Norway and Sweden.
• Black Mass Black mass is a powder recovered from active battery components containing lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and graphite. Sold to hydrometallurgical processors (Posco HY Clean Metal, Fortum Battery Recycling) for refinement into battery-grade materials for cathode production. Verified carbon footprint less than 0.2 kg CO2 per kg.
• Reuse Assessment Services Assessment service offered upon request from importers to evaluate reuse potential of batteries at both pack and module levels, determining whether batteries can be repurposed for second-life applications before recycling. For EV car importers and brand owners.
• Digital Customer Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional mining (less than 0.2 kg CO2 per kg black mass)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bertel O. SteencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 May 2026Partnership for reuse and recycling services for EV batteries from Bertel O. Steen's car brands (Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Fiat, Jeep, and others). Discarded batteries are collected and processed at Hydrovolt's Fredrikstad facility, achieving 99% total recycling rate. Long-term agreement under Autoretur Battery Recycling membership.
• BMW Group NorwaycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 March 2026Collaboration agreement for battery recycling services for BMW Group's electric vehicles in Norway. Discarded EV batteries are collected, diagnosed, and processed at Hydrovolt's Fredrikstad facility. Long-term agreement meeting new producer responsibility requirements.
• Posco HY Clean MetalcoreTechnology or Integration · 11 March 2026Memorandum of understanding for processing and refining black mass from end-of-life batteries into battery-grade materials. Posco HY Clean Metal is a South Korean battery recycling company specializing in hydrometallurgical extraction of high-purity lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from black mass. Black mass is used for Posco's cathode production.
• Mitsui & Co.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Japanese global trading and investment company facilitating the black mass supply partnership between Hydrovolt and Posco HY Clean Metal. Contributed to establishing the commercial relationship for sustainable battery material supply.
• Ragn-SellscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 February 2026Three-year partnership agreement covering collection, intermediate storage, and transport of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries in Sweden. Collected batteries are routed from Ragn-Sells' export hubs to Hydrovolt's recycling facility in Fredrikstad, Norway. Ensures safe and resource-efficient handling as part of building a circular battery value chain in Sweden.
• Motor GruppencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 February 2026Agreement for EV battery recycling under the umbrella of Autoretur Battery Recycling. Hydrovolt acts as full-service provider including collection, reuse potential analysis, and recycling for Motor Gruppen's brands (Mitsubishi, Hongqi, Changan).
• FoReturcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 February 2026Hydrovolt approved as one of two treatment operators for end-of-life high-energy batteries in Sweden. FoRetur is wholly owned by Mobility Sweden and manages producer responsibility for EV batteries on behalf of the Swedish automotive industry.
• Autoretur Battery Recycling (ABR)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 November 2025Cooperation agreement following a tender competition for the collection and treatment of discarded EV batteries in Norway. ABR is a producer responsibility organization wholly owned by the Norwegian Car Importers Association (BIL). Hydrovolt is one of ABR's treatment operators providing collection, reuse, and recycling services.
• NG MetallminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 December 2024Partnership agreement for responsible recycling of high-voltage batteries. NG Metall brings expertise and operational experience through car dismantling. Collaboration leverages both companies' competence on safe and efficient handling, storage, and recycling of used batteries to drive growth in the Nordic battery recycling industry.
• SINTEFminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024R&D collaboration project focused on characterization of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries for improved recycling efficiency. Hydrovolt investing 7 million NOK (half covered by Research Council of Norway). Two-year project starting 2025 to develop a toolbox for characterization and categorization of end-of-life LIBs.
• Institute for Energy Technology (IFE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2024R&D collaboration plus long-term framework agreement providing Hydrovolt direct access to IFE's battery characterization infrastructure (XRD, SEM, TOC, ICP-MS). Project aims to optimize recycling processes and increase material recovery rates by characterizing battery cell components.
• Fortum Battery RecyclingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 February 2024Agreement for delivery of black mass from Hydrovolt's Fredrikstad plant to Fortum's hydrometallurgical recycling plant in Harjavalta, Finland. Cross-Nordic collaboration enabling mechanical recycling in Norway followed by hydrometallurgical refinement in Finland, supporting clean electrification and EU sustainable batteries regulation compliance.
• NorthvoltcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020Joint venture partner with Hydro in establishing Hydrovolt in June 2020. Swedish battery manufacturer bringing battery industry expertise and market knowledge. Northvolt's involvement established Hydrovolt's position within the European battery value chain.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Li-Cycle: Toronto-listed lithium-ion battery recycler operating a spoke-and-hub network (mechanical preprocessing + hydrometallurgical refining). Directly comparable business model to Hydrovolt's mechanical-to-black-mass approach and similar EV/industrial end-market focus.
• Redwood Materials: US-based battery recycler founded by a former Tesla CTO, producing black mass and cathode-active material from EV and consumer batteries. Direct competitor in the lithium-ion recycling category with vertically integrated ambitions similar to Hydrovolt's positioning.
• Posco HY Clean Metal: South Korean hydrometallurgical battery recycling subsidiary of POSCO. Currently Hydrovolt's black-mass offtake partner for refining into battery-grade materials, making it the closest comparable downstream hydromet player and a key node in Hydrovolt's value chain.
• Northvolt: Swedish battery cell manufacturer and Hydrovolt's original JV partner (2020–2025). Operates adjacent recycling capabilities (Revolt) and shares the Nordic battery ecosystem; provides a directly comparable reference point for European battery circularity strategy.
• Cirba Solutions: North American battery materials and recycling company operating mechanical and hydrometallurgical processing for EV, industrial, and consumer batteries. Direct peer in end-to-end lithium-ion recycling services and black-mass production.
• Fortum Battery Recycling: Finnish energy company's battery recycling division operating a hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta that takes black mass from mechanical recyclers (including Hydrovolt). Highly comparable Nordic footprint and downstream-of-Hydrovolt position in the value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a major battery materials and recycling business (cathode materials, refining). Operates broadly across the battery value chain and overlaps with Hydrovolt on recycling-to-cathode integration ambitions.
• Glencore: Global mining and commodities trading major with a growing battery recycling footprint. Competes for black-mass volumes and provides a reference point for industrial-scale recycling economics and downstream refining integration.
• BASF: German chemical major with a battery materials and black-mass recycling business (including the previously announced Schwarzheide project). Comparable in its focus on cathode precursor materials and European battery value-chain integration.

Emerging players

• Ascend Elements: US-based battery materials company with a hydrometallurgical recycling process (Hydro-to-Cathode). Comparable focus on converting black mass into cathode-active material, overlapping with Hydrovolt's downstream ambitions and competing for OEM recycling contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hydrovolt-as

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hydrovolt