The town in El Bierzo of Cubillos del Sil, in the province of LeónThe area is preparing to host one of the most important lithium battery recycling facilities on the Iberian Peninsula. Urbaser, a company specializing in environmental solutions, is building a lithium battery recycling plant which aspires to become a key part of the circular economy linked to electric vehicles and electronic waste.
This project has been the highest rated by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) in the first call of Renocicla ProgramThis has earned it €6,3 million in public funding. The future plant will not only impact the energy and waste sectors, but also employment and the reindustrialization of a region seeking new economic opportunities.
A strategic plant in Cubillos del Sil for the Iberian Peninsula
The facility that Urbaser is building in Cubillos del Sil (Castilla y León) It is envisioned as a leading lithium battery processing facility in Spain and Portugal. Construction began in January 2026, and the company anticipates that the plant will be able to commence industrial operations in the second half of 2027, if the planned schedule is met.
The project has been designed to be developed in phases, so that the treatment capacity gradually increases until it exceeds the 20.000 tons of waste per yearThis figure positions the León plant as an Iberian-scale player, with the aim of centralizing a large part of the recycling of batteries from electric vehicles, electronic equipment and industrial applications.
According to information provided by the company, the facility will become the "epicenter" of battery management in the Iberian PeninsulaIt's not just about crushing or dismantling components, but about recover high-value materials -such as critical metals and compounds- to reintroduce them into new manufacturing chains, reducing dependence on external raw materials.
The plant is designed with a distinctly innovative character, focusing on a high degree of recyclability and recovery of second-life materialsThis involves optimizing the processes of separating and recovering components, so that the benefits are maximized in both environmental and economic terms. Urbaser will also explore the recovery and second life of components where applicable.
In addition to the technological impact, the project has a clear territorial dimension. Urbaser emphasizes that the investment will allow to generate quality employment in the Bierzo regionIn a context of just transition following the closure of coal-fired and thermal power generation facilities, the plant is positioned as one of the cornerstones of the new green industry in the area.
Public funding and technical recognition from IDAE
The final impetus for this project came with the resolution of IDAE's Renocicla program, framed within the PERTE of Circular Economy and funded with European NextGenerationEU funds. Urbaser's plan received the highest score among all applications submitted in the first call.
As a result of that assessment, the company has received a grant of 6,3 million euros This funding is specifically earmarked for the construction and commissioning of the lithium battery recycling plant in Cubillos del Sil. This public aid complements the private investment the company is making to develop the necessary technology and infrastructure.
The highest IDAE score is interpreted in the sector as a support for Urbaser's technical and financial strength The project's contribution to the objectives of decarbonization, responsible waste management, and strategic autonomy in critical materials is already noteworthy. The administration particularly values the capacity of these types of plants to reduce the environmental impact of batteries at the end of their useful life.
The company emphasizes that only with a robust business structure is it possible to undertake projects of this technological and industrial complexityThe institutional recognition reinforces Urbaser's position as one of the actors destined to lead advanced battery recycling in Spain and, by extension, throughout Europe.
Furthermore, the public subsidy allows for faster deadlines and provides the project with a greater scope for innovationThis is key in an area where European regulations on batteries are becoming increasingly demanding in terms of minimum recycling, traceability and recycled content in new products.
Logistics network and full traceability of waste
Beyond the physical plant in León, Urbaser's proposal is based on a logistics infrastructure already consolidated throughout IberiaThe company has a wide network of Industrial Solutions Treatment Centers, distributed between Spain and Portugal, which function as nodes for the collection, classification and pre-storage of waste.
This network is complemented by a own fleet of more than 900 trucksThis allows for monitoring the entire journey of the waste from its origin to its final treatment. Full traceability is one of the cornerstones of the model, as it facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements, provides guarantees to manufacturers and distributors, and prevents uncontrolled diversion of hazardous materials.
Thanks to this structure, the company is now in a position to offer lithium battery storage and end-of-life management solutions even before the Cubillos del Sil plant becomes operational. It does so through international agreements and cross-border logistics, ensuring that the collected batteries have a suitable destination in accordance with current regulations.
For industrial customers, this network represents power to meet its sustainability goals nowwithout having to wait for the opening of the León plant in 2027. In other words, the logistics flows and management procedures are already operational, and the León plant will be integrated as a central piece of a networked system.
The company insists that the approach goes beyond simply treating waste: it's about consolidating a circular economy ecosystem applied to electronic components, in which collection, transport, storage and recycling work in a coordinated manner to maximize resource recovery and minimize environmental impacts.
Industrial expansion and new plants in Spain and Portugal
The Cubillos del Sil project is part of a broader industrial strategy Urbaser is deploying this project across the Iberian Peninsula. The company is also working to transform its waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) plant in Zaragoza, acquired at the end of 2024, into one of the most efficient and sustainable facilities in the sector.
Since that acquisition, the company has been investing in engineering, specialized personnel and new equipment with the aim of positioning the Zaragoza plant as a benchmark for advanced WEEE treatment in Iberia. This modernization is aligned with increasing European regulatory requirements and the need to manage a growing volume of electronic waste.
In parallel, Urbaser is developing the engineering for three new dedicated lithium battery processing plantsOne of them will also be located in Zaragoza, with a projected start of operations in early 2029, reinforcing the Aragon-Castilla y León axis as a key industrial corridor in the recycling of technologies associated with electrification.
The other two planned facilities will be located in the south of the peninsula and in PortugalSeeking balanced geographical coverage that reduces transport distances and improves the overall efficiency of the system, the company aims to consolidate its unique technical and operational leadership in the Iberian battery recycling market with this deployment.
Overall, the network formed by the The Cubillos del Sil plant and new projects in Zaragoza, southern Spain and Portugal It draws an industrial map designed to respond to the strong growth expected in the generation of end-of-life batteries, especially from electric vehicles and the electrification of industrial processes.
Impact on the energy transition and the local economy
The construction of the lithium battery recycling plant in León comes at a key moment for the energy transition and the electrification of transport In Europe, as the electric vehicle fleet grows and energy storage systems are deployed, end-of-life battery management becomes an essential link in the chain.
Urbaser positions itself as a strategic partner for electric vehicle and electronics manufacturers, that they need to ensure that their batteries will be managed in accordance with regulationswith high recycling and material recovery rates. These types of facilities help close the loop, preventing complex waste from ending up in landfills or informal channels.
From a regional point of view, the Cubillos del Sil plant represents a commitment to the reindustrialization of El Bierzo through activities linked to the green economy. The generation of stable and skilled employment, together with the arrival of technological investment, contributes to redefining the productive fabric of an area marked by the energy transition process and the closure of thermal facilities.
The high degree of recovery of second-life materials The project planned for the plant also has strategic implications for Europe, which is seeking to reduce its dependence on imported critical raw materials. Every ton of batteries properly recycled means recovering metals and compounds that can fuel new production lines, instead of having to be extracted again.
In this context, the combination of public support through IDAE, private investment and deployment of industrial infrastructure This makes the Cubillos del Sil project a representative example of the type of initiatives that the European Union wants to promote in the coming years to advance decarbonization and strategic autonomy.
With the commissioning of the lithium battery recycling plant in León planned for the second half of 2027, and the parallel development of new facilities in other regions, Urbaser is weaving a Iberian industrial ecosystem focused on the circular economy of batteries and electronic waste, which combines technological innovation, job creation in territories in transition and response to the environmental and regulatory demands that will shape the future of mobility and energy in Europe.
