Why Ulsan matters
Hyundai's largest assembly complex and EV lines. Active names in and around the city include Hyundai Motor.
Manufacturing clusters generate production scrap and off-spec cells during line ramp-up, warranty returns from early vehicles, and validation packs from test tracks. The material is usually single-chemistry and well documented, which makes it some of the cleanest feed in the network.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving site | Ulsan — Korea Recovery Campus (Integrated Recovery Campus) |
| Pickup SLA | 24 hours |
| Coverage radius | 94 km |
| Collection cadence | Weekly or fortnightly scheduled scrap runs |
| Regulatory framework | Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles |
How collection works here
We run scheduled scrap collections from plant gates and tier-one suppliers, with dedicated bins per chemistry and a weighbridge reconciliation against each supplier's scrap log. Off-spec cells that never entered a vehicle are graded separately because their value profile is different from end-of-life packs.
Loads move in Class 9 compliant transport with pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork to Ulsan, South Korea, where they are weighed, logged and graded.
- Cell and pack assembly plants
- Tier-one module suppliers
- Vehicle assembly lines
- Validation and test centres
What the rules require in South Korea
South Korea runs a producer responsibility system and has built public collection centres for retired EV batteries. Packs from subsidised EVs registered before 2021 had to be returned to local authorities, and the rules now allow more private-sector reuse and recycling. Battery makers and recyclers are investing heavily in closed-loop material recovery.
Transport follows national dangerous goods rules, with lithium-ion batteries packaged under UN 3480 / UN 3481.
- Route retired packs through registered collection centres or licensed recyclers
- Carry out performance checks before any reuse
- Keep transfer and treatment records for ministry reporting
- Follow Basel implementation rules for imports and exports
Field note
What you get paid and what you file
Settlement is quoted per pack after measured state of health, not by guesswork on age. Modules holding 75% or more of rated capacity settle at second-life rates; the remainder settle against black mass metal content.
Certificates carry achieved recovery percentages and downstream vendor disclosure for reporting under Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles.