Monday, December 2, 2024
Infrastructure and TechnologyLatestNews

Altilium begins recycling EV battery waste

UK-based clean technology group Altilium has begun processing of lithium-ion battery waste at its new ACT 2 recycling facility in Plymouth.

The facility marks the next phase of Altilium’s scale-up strategy, leading to megascale recycling at its planned ACT 4 plant in Teesside. Using the company’s EcoCathodeTM process, it will be produce large volumes of precursor cathode active materials (P-CAM) and cathode active materials (CAM) from recycled EV battery waste.

The 18,000 square foot facility has the capacity to process 300kg of black mass waste – the equivalent of one EV battery – per day. This will include high- nickel NMC811 CAM for production of battery cells at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), for validation with a leading automotive OEM.

By recovering critical minerals from end-of-life EV batteries and Gigafactory waste, Altilium aims to assist the UK battery supply chain, as well as minimizing the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing.

An independent lifecycle analysis (LCA) has found that NMC532 cathode produced using Altilium’s recycled materials could be up to 74% lower in climate change impact compared to using primary mined materials from a Chinese supply chain.

Electrochemical testing of cells produced from Altilium’s recycled CAM has shown comparable rate and cycle performance with commercially available CAM used in today’s high-nickel NMC 811 batteries.

According to forecasts from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, the UK will need over 150,000 tonnes of CAM a year by 2035, for the production of approximately 1.2 million EVs annually.

Dr Christian Marston, President and COO of Altilium, said:

“This is a proud moment for Altilium and a major milestone for the UK’s circular economy. ACT 2 is not only a demonstration of our technological leadership but also of our commitment to building a sustainable future.

“With ACT 2 starting processing, we are closer than ever to realizing a domestic supply chain for EV battery materials, a critical component in achieving the UK’s industrial resilience.”

Image from Altilium

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