From E-Waste to Energy: The Rise of Jordan’s First Circularity Hub
Jordan’s rapid transition toward electric mobility brings an important challenge: what happens to electric vehicle batteries when they can no longer serve in a vehicle? At the German Jordanian University (GJU), this challenge became the starting point for a much broader vision.
The Circularity Hub (C-Hub) was established to develop a comprehensive approach to circularity that addresses the entire lifecycle of batteries and electronic components—not simply their second-life use. Its philosophy is straightforward:
Track → Test → Characterize → Reuse & Repurpose → Recycle → Recover
The goal is to understand where a battery comes from, how it has been used, its current condition, and its remaining value. Through testing and characterization, C-Hub can determine whether batteries and components can be safely reused or repurposed or whether they should move to recycling and material recovery.
From Concept to Capability
Since work began in June 2024, C-Hub has evolved rapidly from an ambitious concept into an operational research and technology-development platform.
Specialized infrastructure and equipment have been established for the safe handling, dismantling, testing, and characterization of lithium-ion batteries. The Hub can assess parameters such as state of health, remaining capacity, degradation, and electrical performance, enabling evidence-based decisions about the most technically, economically, and environmentally appropriate next stage of a battery’s life.
One of C-Hub’s first major demonstrations has been the development of a second-life Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in partnership with the German company PowerID, GmbH.
The collaboration brought together GJU’s research and engineering capabilities with PowerID’s industrial expertise. Batteries that had completed their automotive life were evaluated and suitable components repurposed into a functional stationary energy-storage system. The work encompassed battery integration, power electronics, protection, control, and energy management.
The BESS demonstrates the circularity concept in practice: a product reaching the end of one application can become a resource for another. Second-life storage can support renewable-energy integration, facility energy management, peak-demand reduction, and more resilient energy systems.
Beyond Batteries
EV batteries are only the starting point.
The same approach being developed at C-Hub—traceability, testing, characterization, reuse, repurposing, recycling, and recovery—can be extended to other forms of electronic waste. Many electronic products reach the end of their intended service while their components and materials still retain significant technical and economic value.
C-Hub is therefore envisioned not simply as a battery laboratory, but as a national and regional platform for circularity, connecting research, education, industry, technology development, and future commercialization.
The Hub has been built through a growing ecosystem of national, international, university, and private-sector support, including GIZ, JSSR, PowerID, and GJU internal funding in addition to many governmental, private and profession stakeholders. This multi-partner approach reflects the nature of circularity itself: meaningful solutions require cooperation between universities, industry, development organizations, researchers, technology providers, and the wider community.
A Collective Achievement
C-Hub is the result of a broad team effort. The original vision was led by Dr. Fadwa Dababneh, with the support of Eng. Mohammad Ayash and Eng. Fayez Aloran. The engineering and development team includes Prof. Osama Saadeh, Eng. Qusai Qaraibeh, and Eng. Walaa Alzoubi, working alongside the wider C-Hub team and in close collaboration with PowerID’s engineering team in Germany.
Together, researchers, engineers, students, technicians, partners, and supporting organizations have transformed an idea into a growing platform for circular innovation.
Track. Test. Characterize. Reuse. Repurpose. Recycle. Recover. Repeat.
At C-Hub, the end of one lifecycle is the beginning of the next.