Black Country battery recycling plant completes major phase
The first listed UK company focused on battery metals has reached a major milestone for its lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling facility in Wolverhampton.
Technology Minerals subsidiary Recyclus has completed its commissioning phase at the UK-first facility, and will now commence commercial operations.
It hopes to process 8,300 tonnes in the first year, using a single shift pattern of labour during the standard working week. Annual capacity will then be increased through additional shifts, with the expectation that the plant will be able to process up to 22,000 tonnes of Li-ion batteries per annum.
As part of the commissioning phase, Recyclus fed the first end-of-life Li-ion into its plant to produce black mass. The black mass contains critical battery metals that can be reprocessed and sold back into the battery supply chain.
It also installed bulk liquid nitrogen tanks and received the first fill of liquid nitrogen, which facilitates continuous processing at the plant.
In April 2023, Recyclus secured an Environment Agency permit that allows the company a daily storage limit of around 100 tonnes of Li-ion batteries on site and to process up to 22,000 tonnes of Li-ion batteries per year.
Robin Brundle, Chairman of Technology Minerals, said: “This milestone allows us to commence commercial operations and is another step towards the realisation of our planned processing rate.
“By using cutting-edge recycling solutions at our facility, we aim to tackle the challenge of discarded batteries, playing a pivotal role in the electrification transition and forging a sustainable circular economy in the UK.”
