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Business grows for UK battery recycler Altilium

UK clean tech innovator Altilium has begun recycling lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to supply a global electric vehicle and energy storage systems manufacturer.

The company says the move underscores its commitment to building a sustainable UK supply chain for critical battery materials and reducing the environmental impact of battery production.

It is already recycling nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) batteries from two leading UK-based automotive OEMs, as well as Gigafactory production scrap, to produce modern high-nickel cathode active materials (CAM) at its ACT1 and ACT2 facilities in Devon. None of the customers is being named by Altilium.

Mixed feed

The company’s recently opened ACT2 plant in Plymouth has the capacity to recover lithium and other battery metals from 300kg of black mass waste per day while its planned Teesside hub will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe.

The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from more than 150 000 EVs per year and has been designed to handle a mixed feed of battery chemistries, including LFP.Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode technology can recover over 97% of the lithium and 99% of the graphite from LFP batteries.

According to the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, LFP batteries are set to grow from 18% of the UK EV market in 2027 to 25% in 2035. This shift to LFP batteries presents a challenge for battery recyclers, as iron and phosphate are less valuable than nickel and cobalt.

As a result, LFP batteries are currently less likely to be recycled. Altilium is addressing this challenge by recovering more of the lithium, which is a high-value material, as well as recycling the graphite, which be reused in the production of new anodes.

Pioneering

Christian Marston, Altilium coo, says ‘The rise of LFP batteries presents both challenges and opportunities for recyclers. At Altilium, we are pioneering solutions to ensure these batteries are not only recovered but play a key role in a UK circular battery economy.

‘By expanding our capabilities to process LFP alongside NMC batteries, we are strengthening the UK’s battery supply chain and supporting the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable transport sector.’

In January, Altilium announced a US$ 5 million (EUR 4.85 million) investment from Japan’s Marubeni Corporation as part of a Series B funding round. 

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