The Valencian company Batteryfly has decided to take a significant step forward in the recycling of electric vehicle batteries and the management of their second life with a major industrial project in Aragon. The company plans to invest 6 million euros in a new plant in Zaragoza , designed to close the loop on electromobility and strengthen the clean energy value chain in Spain.
The future facility will be located in the Recycling Technology Park (PTR) of Zaragoza and will occupy an area of 12.000 square meters. The project, which is part of the RENOCICLA program of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has a target completion date of March 2029 and aims to make the Aragonese capital one of the key battery recycling hubs in Spain.
A 6 million euro investment for a battery hub in Zaragoza
Batteryfly, specializing in the comprehensive lifecycle management of electromobility batteries , has designed a plant conceived to cover the entire journey of these devices: from initial reception and evaluation to advanced recycling or reconditioning for new uses. The total planned investment amounts to €6 million, supplemented by a significant public subsidy.
The project has received a non-refundable grant of €1,8 million from the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) , channeled through the RENOCICLA program and managed by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). This funding, financed by the European Union's NextGenEU program under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Facility (RRPF), is awarded on a competitive basis, rewarding technological innovation, economic viability, and positive environmental impact.
According to information provided by the company, the plant will be built on a 12.000 m² plot in the Zaragoza Technology Park (PTR), a location that reinforces Aragon's position as an industrial hub linked to the circular economy and electric mobility. The company anticipates that, once operational, the center will generate around 120 jobs within approximately four years, including technical, engineering, laboratory, and operations personnel.
The project timeline sets an execution period extending to March 2029 , during which the various phases of design, construction, pilot line commissioning, and industrial scaling will be carried out. The facility is conceived as a long-term strategic infrastructure, capable of supporting the significant anticipated increase in the electric vehicle fleet in Europe.
Recycling capacity and growth projection
The new plant will start with an annual treatment capacity exceeding 1.000 tons of waste, primarily batteries from electric vehicles and other renewable energy equipment. However, the project is designed with a clear focus on growth: in the medium term, the facilities could process up to 75.000 tons per year.
This potential for expansion stems from the expectation that the volume of end-of-life batteries will increase significantly as electromobility and energy storage continue to expand in Spain and the rest of Europe. Having sufficient industrial capacity to manage this waste safely and efficiently is considered key to avoiding bottlenecks and external dependencies.
Batteryfly's project has been recognized as one of the top five nationwide in its battery recycling category within the RENOCICLA program. Factors considered in its evaluation included the innovative nature of the treatment processes, the comprehensive approach to the second life of batteries, and its tangible contribution to the circular economy.
Thanks to this new facility, the company aims to address the challenge of transforming a growing waste stream into an industrial opportunity . The idea is that batteries no longer suitable for their original use should not be considered simply waste, but rather a source of valuable materials and, in many cases, reusable modules for other applications.
In this context, Zaragoza aims to consolidate itself as a benchmark center for battery recycling within the Spanish industrial map, complementing other automotive and renewable energy hubs both in Aragon and in neighboring communities.
Comprehensive installation: from second life to advanced recycling
One of the project's strengths is its comprehensive approach. The industrial facility will have different specialized areas covering all phases of the battery lifecycle. First, secure storage, characterization, and testing areas will be set up , where the condition of each unit received will be evaluated to determine whether reconditioning is feasible or if it should be sent directly for recycling.
From there, the complex will have dedicated lines for the dismantling, handling, and repair of electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage systems. These operations will allow for the recovery of modules and cells that still have considerable lifespan, repurposing them for less demanding applications, such as stationary backup systems or energy storage for renewable energy installations.
The plant will also include dedicated spaces for manufacturing megabatteries and assembling new products , utilizing components that remain functional. In this way, the second life of batteries is integrated into the center's own industrial structure, without the need to outsource key processes.
In addition, areas will be set up for the certification of energy storage systems and for the development of new components, ensuring that refurbished equipment meets the safety and quality standards required by the market and by European regulation.
The complex will be complemented by laboratories and an R&D center focused on improving the repair, recycling, and characterization processes for lithium-ion batteries and other emerging technologies. Alongside these technical spaces, the facility will include offices and an engineering area that will centralize project management and the development of advanced energy storage solutions.
Black mass and critical metal recovery
Beyond the refurbishment, the Batteryfly plant will incorporate a pilot plant for obtaining "black mass ," one of the most strategically important elements. Black mass is a high-value dark powder obtained after crushing and processing lithium-ion batteries, and it concentrates a significant portion of the most valuable metals found in these systems.
This fraction includes lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese , among other essential materials for manufacturing new fuel cells. All of these are considered critical or strategic raw materials by the European Commission, both due to their difficult supply and the geographical concentration of their reserves.
The ability to produce black mass in the national territory represents an important step in reducing dependence on the import of raw materials , especially from Asian markets, and in strengthening Europe's industrial autonomy in a sector as sensitive as batteries.
Once obtained, this black mass can be sent to specialized refineries and hydrometallurgical plants, where the different metals are separated and purified for reintroduction into the supply chain. In this way, materials from spent batteries are transformed back into inputs for manufacturing new energy storage systems , closing the loop of the circular economy.
The integration of this pilot plant into the Zaragoza project positions Batteryfly in a dynamic of constant innovation, since the treatment of batteries and the recovery of critical metals is a field in rapid technological and regulatory evolution within the European Union.
Circular economy, public support and fit within European policies
Batteryfly's project aligns perfectly with European and national strategies for the circular economy and energy transition . The RENOCICLA program, under which the new plant is being built, aims to accelerate the replacement of obsolete equipment and increase the use of secondary raw materials in manufacturing processes, thereby reducing pressure on natural resources.
The grants awarded have been assessed based on the principle of not causing significant harm to the environment , which implies compliance with strict criteria for waste management, emissions, and energy efficiency. This requirement helps ensure that new facilities financed with EU funds align with the EU's climate and sustainability objectives.
Furthermore, the project is directly related to the PERTE Circular Economy and to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan itself, which identifies battery recycling and the management of critical materials as key elements to strengthen the continent's industrial competitiveness.
By promoting the reuse of components and raw materials and recovering valuable metals, the Zaragoza plant aims to be a key link in the value chain related to the electrification of transport and the deployment of renewable energies . The combination of private investment and public support seeks to spur new business and technological initiatives in the surrounding area.
At the regional level, the infrastructure helps to consolidate Aragon's image as a territory committed to innovation in sustainability and industrial recycling , complementing other projects linked to electric vehicles, the automotive industry and energy storage that are already operating or being deployed in the autonomous community.
Batteryfly: previous experience and a commitment to a second life
Batteryfly was founded in response to the growing adoption of electric vehicles in Europe and the regulatory framework that promotes the reuse and proper management of discarded batteries . The company specializes in maximizing the lifespan of these batteries, either through reconditioning or responsible recycling when they reach the end of their useful life.
The company's team boasts over 25 years of experience in the automotive and renewable energy sectors , with a staff of engineers, technicians, and operators specializing in energy, electronics, and programming. This technical foundation has enabled Batteryfly to develop its own battery design and manufacturing solutions tailored to diverse applications.
Currently, the company operates from its headquarters in Moncada (Valencia), where it has 1.800 square meters of industrial space , development and testing laboratories, and a significant capacity for reconditioning lithium batteries, primarily from the electric vehicle sector. From these facilities, projects have been launched that have contributed to reducing emissions and making better use of existing resources.
According to its own data, Batteryfly's activity has reduced CO₂ emissions by around 20 tons over the last five years thanks to extending battery lifespans and using more efficient storage solutions. The new plant in Zaragoza represents a significant leap forward in scale compared to that experience.
With this move, the company reinforces its role in the European electromobility ecosystem, not so much from the manufacture of vehicles, but from the responsible management of the end of life of its key components , an area that will increasingly have more weight in the regulation and in the social perception of the sustainability of electric transport.
Impact on industrial independence and sustainable mobility
Batteryfly's management emphasizes that the new plant will help reduce the need to extract additional resources for manufacturing next-generation batteries. Reusing old batteries and recovering critical metals allows for avoiding some primary mining and, at the same time, minimizing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or must be exported for treatment.
Javier Alcalá, the company's CEO, has emphasized the importance of promoting the reuse of components and raw materials , especially in the electric mobility and energy storage sectors. This vision aligns with the European regulatory trend, which is setting increasingly ambitious targets for recycled content and traceability in batteries sold in the European market.
Another point the company highlights is the possibility of moving towards less dependence on Asian countries for battery manufacturing and the supply of necessary materials. While the new plant is not intended to meet European demand on its own, it does complement other projects aimed at diversifying the origin of these resources.
For the energy system as a whole, having infrastructures like the one in Zaragoza makes the transition to electromobility more environmentally coherent , by ensuring that batteries are managed properly once their first useful life is over.
In short, Batteryfly's investment fits into a broader trend in Spain and Europe: the deployment of facilities that allow the closing of the clean technology loop , returning scarce materials to the system and giving a useful purpose to equipment that would otherwise become an environmental and logistical problem.
With the opening of this plant in the Zaragoza Recycling Technology Park, Batteryfly combines private investment, institutional support, and technical expertise to position itself on the European battery recycling map. The initiative aims to strengthen the circular economy, generate skilled employment, and provide added industrial autonomy in a sector that is key to the future of electric mobility and renewable energy in Spain.
