October 10, 2025: Belgium-based Campine has pledged to expand use of battery recycling and speciality lead manufacturing operations newly acquired from Ecobat in France.

Batteries International reported in June that Ecobat had received a binding, undisclosed offer for the facilities.

Campine said on October 1 that the deal, including two battery recycling plants and one semi-finished lead-products facility, was finalized on September 30.

Together, the sites add 70,000 tonnes of annual battery recycling capacity and expand Campine’s downstream offering with lead anodes for the zinc and copper industries.

Campine circular metals director David Wijmans said: “The Ecobat facilities have free smelting capacity that we plan to use immediately.

“From next year, we also aim to adapt the furnaces to Campine’s proprietary technology to recover antimony, tin and other metals, fitting perfectly with our multi-material recycling strategy.”

CEO Wim De Vos said the acquisition was a major step in the group’s European expansion, with five plants now operating in France.

The final purchase price is expected to be around €14 million ($16 million), subject to closing adjustments including cash, debt and liabilities.

However, Ecobat’s lithium ion collection activities and its new lead-acid battery sales and distribution in France were excluded from the deal.

The deal also supports Campine’s recycled plastics business unit, as the former Ecobat plants generate around 3,000 tonnes of polypropylene waste annually from battery casings.

Last year, the acquired assets generated around €100 million in revenue with positive EBITDA, Campine said.