Strong in the early stages, weak in material recovery
The Netherlands performs well in terms of battery collection, logistics and pre-treatment, but large-scale facilities for refining so-called ‘black mass’ are virtually non-existent. As a result, valuable materials are exported abroad and processed there, which results in a loss of both economic value and strategic autonomy.
Not enough raw materials, not enough demand
An industrial refining plant requires around 10,000 tonnes of feedstock per year. However, in 2025, Auto Recycling Nederland collected only around 430 tonnes of batteries from electric vehicles, and the OPEN Foundation reported around 400 tonnes of collected e-bike batteries in 2024. This gap between required and available volumes makes investment in Dutch recycling infrastructure difficult, unless additional raw material streams are secured, for example through off-take agreements with gigafactories. At the same time, domestic demand for recycled materials remains limited, as the Netherlands has virtually no battery production of its own.
Permits and energy as an additional hurdle
High energy costs, grid congestion and lengthy licensing procedures – often taking two to five years – present further barriers to scaling up and create uncertainty among investors.
Systemic change is needed
According to TNO, in order to derive greater value from battery recycling, supply, demand, regulation, energy infrastructure and industrial development must be developed in a coordinated manner. Without targeted measures to increase raw material flows, speed up licensing procedures and create stable market conditions, the Netherlands will remain primarily a logistical link rather than a fully-fledged player in the European circular battery economy.
Further information
The full study can be found in the English-language paper "Towards battery recycling in the Netherlands: an assessment of readiness, bottlenecks and pathways to industrial scale".
Read the full article on TNO.nl, including a link to the underlying paper.
