Clean tech group starts processing of EV battery waste at Plymouth facility
Decon-based Altilium has begun processing of lithium-ion battery waste at its new ACT 2 recycling facility in Plymouth.
The cutting-edge facility, the first of its kind in the UK, marks the next phase of Altilium’s scale-up strategy, leading to megascale recycling at its planned ACT 4 plant in Teesside.
Showcasing the company’s advanced EcoCathode process, it will be the only plant in the UK capable of producing large volumes of precursor cathode active materials (P-CAM) and cathode active materials (CAM) from recycled EV battery waste.
The 18,000 sq ft facility has the capacity to process 300kg of black mass waste (the equivalent of one EV battery) per day, enabling production of high volumes of battery materials for qualification with automotive customers. 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.
For the UK, the opening of the ACT 2 facility represents a critical step toward reducing our reliance on imported raw materials and developing a sustainable, domestic supply chain for the critical raw materials essential for EV manufacturing. As noted in a recent IEA report, battery recycling will be critical to meeting the growing demands of EV and energy storage deployment and reducing the need for mined materials, especially for those countries with limited domestic resources.
By recovering these critical minerals from end-of-life EV batteries and Gigafactory waste, Altilium is supporting the growth of a globally competitive battery supply chain in the UK, as well as minimizing the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing, making EVs even greener. 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.
Dr Christian Marston, president and COO of Altilium, commented: “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.”
The opening of the ACT 2 facility follows the successful demonstration of Altilium’s proprietary technology at its ACT 1 site in Tavistock.
