Germany’s Voltfang turns used EV batteries into renewable power banks

August 21, 2025 (MLN): German startup Voltfang has opened Europe’s largest facility dedicated to refurbishing used electric vehicle (EV) batteries into storage units for renewable energy, marking a milestone in the country’s energy transition drive.

The new industrial site in Aachen, near the Belgian and Dutch borders, employs around 100 people and transforms old lithium-ion batteries into fridge-sized units capable of storing excess solar and wind power, as reported by APP.

Founded in 2020 by three engineering students, Voltfang aims to accelerate Germany’s “Energiewende” the decades-long shift away from fossil fuels.

“We want to ensure European sovereignty in energy supply by enabling renewable energy production through storage,” said CEO David Oudsandji. “The more renewable energy we use, the more storage capacity we deploy, the less we need fossil gas or oil.”

Inside the facility, technicians test used EV batteries and recondition those with remaining life for “second use.” These are then fitted into large cabinets  essentially giant power banks  that homes and businesses can use to store self-generated clean electricity.

One of Voltfang’s first major customers is Aldi Nord, which is installing the systems to capture solar energy from its rooftops.

Voltfang’s long-term goal is to produce enough storage units by 2030 to hold one gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity annually, equivalent to the energy needs of 300 homes.

Germany, where renewables already accounted for nearly 60% of electricity production last year, has set a target of 80% by 2030. But the country continues to face “dark lulls”  periods when little sun or wind is available and has resorted to importing power from French nuclear and Polish coal plants.

To counter this, the government plans to build about 20 new gas-fired plants by 2030, a move criticized by environmental groups as a setback to climate goals.

Industry experts say battery storage will be crucial to stabilizing renewable-heavy grids. “Small-scale distributed energy assets such as battery storage will play a major role to create efficient energy systems,” said Marc Sauthoff of consultancy Roland Berger, noting that Germany’s stationary storage capacity has more than doubled from 2.5 GWh in 2022 to 6 GWh at the end of 2024.

Voltfang hopes to turn profitable by 2026 as demand for storage surges.

For Oudsandji, it is also about independence: “We can generate enormous amounts of electricity from solar and wind, then store it in a decentralized way all across Germany. That’s how we cut dependence on fossil fuels and keep the lights on.”

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