UK clean technology group Altilium has begun processing lithium-ion battery waste at its ACT 2 recycling facility in Plymouth.
The 18,000 square foot facility has the capacity to process the equivalent of one electric vehicle (EV) battery (300kg of black mass waste) a day and is the latest phase of Altilium’s plans for megascale recycling as it builds towards commissioning its ACT 4 in Teesside.
ACT 1 saw a successful demonstration of Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode process at a site in Tavistock. The EcoCathode process produces battery grade salts, precursor cathode active materials (P-CAM) and cathode active materials (CAM) from recycled EV battery waste.
The process has been independently validated and proven in a pilot recovering over 95% of cathode metals from waste EV batteries in a format that can be directly used in manufacturing.
As demand for EVs increases, so will demand for the materials required for battery manufacturing; using recycled materials is a way to reduce reliance on imported raw materials and develop a domestic supply chain for EV battery manufacturing.
By recovering critical minerals from end-of-life EV batteries and gigafactory waste, Altilium says it is supporting the growth of a globally competitive EV supply chain in the UK and minimising the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing.
An independent lifecycle analysis (LCA) has found that using a high-nickel NMC532 cathode produced using Altilium’s recycled materials could have a 74% lower climate impact than the use of primary mined minerals from a supply chain originating in China.
President and COO of Altilium Dr Christian Marston said the ACT 2 facility opening was a “proud moment” for the firm and “a major milestone for the UK’s circular economy”.
Battery recycling process
The full battery circularity model covers the whole value chain, from EV battery collection to black mass recycling and the production of materials.
Altilium’s process dissolves shredded battery waste in acid solutions, called black mass leaching, to extract key metals including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. After being separated and purified, Altilium upcycles the battery-grade compounds into high-nickel P-CAM, which is further synthesised into CAM.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), a non-profit organisation that facilitates funding to UK-based zero emission technology development, forecasts that the UK will need over 150,000 tonnes of CAM a year by 2035, for the production of approximately 1.2 million EVs annually.
In July this year, Altilium partnered with Connected Energy, which specialises in repurposing EV battery packs as ‘second life’ stationary battery storage systems. The companies are collaborating to develop sustainable and environmentally responsible business models for the repurposing and recycling of EV batteries.
The partnership also aims to establish responsible repurposing and recycling protocols, to be adopted as industry wide standards, following the waste hierarchy principles of re-use, re-purpose and recycle.
