BMW Tengah Builds New Cell Recycling Competency Center, Operates Next Year

The Cell Recycling Competency Center or known as CRCC. (Doc. BMW Group)

JAKARTA - BMW Group is building a Cell Recycling Competency Center or known as CRCC for German battery cells, more precisely in Kirchroth, Bavaria.

This innovative procedure allows BMW to regulate the remaining materials from the production of battery cells, as well as all battery cells that will be mechanically dismantled into valuable components. Later, recycled raw materials will be immediately reused in the production of a pilot BMW battery cell.

"This new cell recycling competency center presents another element in our internal expertise, from pilot development and production to recycling, and we are creating a good cycle," said BMW Battery Production SVP Markus Fallb\"ohmer, quoted from BMW Group's official website.

He further said the BMW Group had invested about 10 million euros in the construction of this new comperncy center, and installation work in the building had been scheduled to start in the second half of 2025.

"Reflowing directly will help reduce costs for our battery cell pilot line," he added.

Unlike conventional methods, the main characteristic of direct recycling is that raw materials from battery cells are not returned to their original state, but are recasted 'direct' into the cell production cycle.

The recycling method was developed by BMW Group experts at the Competency Center in Munich and Parsdorf. At the new CRCC, this method will be implemented on a larger scale, which is equipped to recycle battery cell materials in the double-digit tonne range per year.

The new center will have an area of 2,200 square meters and will be part of the Kirchroth-Nord industrial area. The center will be equipped with an energy storage system to capture, and reuse electricity from its already exhausted cells.