July 3, 2025: Ecobat has confirmed the sale of its lead battery and polypropylene recycling operations in Italy.
Further announcements by Clarios, the lead battery manufacturing giant, are expected by this magazine which we believe will be announced in the coming three weeks. Clarios has not replied for comment.
Our understanding is that Clarios is to buy Ecobat’s two plants in Germany (Freiburg and Braubach) and its Austrian plant at Arnoldstein which is where a large part of its recycling takes place.
Ecobat revealed on July 1 that it had concluded the sale of its facilities in Marcianise, Paderno Dugnano and Bologna to Haiki+ — which is listed on Euronext Growth Milan and whose business group includes Haiki Cobat, which invests in innovation and research in support of the circular economy.
The deal came just one month after Ecobat said it had received a binding, undisclosed offer for its French battery recycling and speciality lead manufacturing operations from Belgium-based Campine — effectively quitting the French market, apart from its lithium ion battery collection business and its new lead acid battery distribution and sales.
That was followed on June 2 with confirmation that UK private equity firm Endless had acquired Ecobat Battery, which has a network of 23 distribution hubs in the UK, Ireland, France, Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Tom Slabe, Ecobat president and CEO said the latest sell-off was “another step forward to optimize Ecobat’s geographic footprint”.
He said the commitment of Haiki+ to innovation and sustainability would provide a solid platform for the continued success of the Italian business.
As of 2022, Ecobat said its secondary lead smelting facilities at Paderno and Marcianise had an aggregate capacity of 80,000 tonnes of lead per year.
However, lead production in Italy has been through turbulent times. Batteries International reported in 2023 on a lengthy suspension of activities at secondary lead smelting plants in the country the wake of “extreme energy prices and other excessively burdensome costs” in the country.
