The clean technology group is collaborating with Jaguar Land Rover to recover critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel from end-of-life batteries to use in vehicles.
Clean technology group, Altilium, has announced a new project in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to produce electric vehicle (EV) battery cells using materials recovered from end-of-life EV batteries. The venture aims to demonstrate that battery cells can be produced with recovered cathode active materials (CAM) to use in vehicles.
The project will use Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process, which is designed to recover critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, resulting in a 60 per cent carbon emissions reduction.
Dr Christian Marston, Altilium COO, commented: “By demonstrating that EV battery cells made from recovered materials can meet the rigorous standards of the automotive industry, we’re not only reducing the environmental impact of battery production but also supporting the UK’s efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient EV supply chain.”
The validation of these battery cells will be done at JLR’s battery testing facilities, and the production is set to take place at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC). The project has also received funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
Discussing the collaboration with JLR, Dr Marston added: “We are proud to lead this pioneering project with JLR that brings us one step closer to a circular economy for battery materials in the UK.”
Research from Faraday Institution suggests that demand for battery materials will reach 110 GWh per year by 2030, and Altilium’s process will help achieve more circularity for the batteries.
It also prepares for future regulations, as by 2031, new EV batteries sold in the EU must include a minimum of six per cent recycled lithium, six per cent recycled nickel, and 16 per cent recycled cobalt. These targets could increase by 2036.
The project is built on Altilium’s previously announced partnership with UKBIC, supported by Innovate UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge, to begin rapid prototyping of EV battery cells using recycled CAM.
Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director of UKBIC, added: “We’re delighted to be part of this innovative project which will help the industry move towards an even cleaner future. Our role in the battery ecosystem is to help companies prove their new materials and technologies can be industrialised, and working with Altilium will help them prove their recycled CAM can be an effective option in future EV batteries.”
Altilium’s larger plans include the construction of a recycling hub in Teesside, with the capacity to process 150,000 EV batteries annually and supply 30,000 tpa of CAM.
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