Big step for UK in EV battery recycling 

Construction is underway in the UK on an electric vehicle recycling facility which is expected to process 24 000 used batteries every year. 

The ACT 3 plant is being built by Altilium, a British-based clean technology company, at Plymouth in the south-west of England. The facility will recover critical battery minerals, including lithium, nickel and graphite.

Using Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode process, battery scrap will be recycled into nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate and lithium sulphate. These are frequently used in any domestic production of battery cathodes. The UK is currently dependent on the international market for supply of critical battery materials. 

Advanced refining 

While recycling in the UK typically focuses on shredding batteries and producing black mass, Altilium is keeping battery metals such as lithium and nickel in the UK through advanced hydrometallurgical refining.  

Construction at the four-acre site has begun, with engineering design work being completed by consultancy Hatch. Altilium says the plant will provide important learnings around materials handling, scalability and process optimisation, as well as sustainability and environmental compliance.

It is also planning a ACT 4 mega-scale refinery later in the decade. ACT 3 scales up from ACT 2, a pilot line that processes one EV battery per day. 

Strategic approach 

Christian Marston, Altilium coo, says ACT 3 marks the next phase in a mission to close the loop on battery materials in Britain. ‘We are proud to be building this scale-up facility here in Plymouth, which will be a cornerstone of the UK’s EV battery supply chain.’

‘This is about taking a strategic and incremental approach to scaling a vital new industry. One that ensures value stays in the country and creates long-term skilled green jobs.’