Altilium, a pioneering company in southwest England, is helping lead the way in recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries, turning old batteries into vital materials for new energy solutions. As global demand for electric cars surges, this innovative company works to reduce reliance on mining by extracting precious metals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite from discarded batteries. By recycling old EV batteries, Altilium and others are advancing toward a circular economy, where nothing goes to waste, while ensuring a more sustainable future for battery production.
Battery Recycling: A Critical Need for Sustainable Energy
The rapid rise of electric vehicles (EVs) is transforming the global energy landscape. As countries shift toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar, the demand for EVs and the batteries that power them has skyrocketed. In 2023, nearly 20% of all vehicle sales were electric, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, the surge in electric car sales is driving a parallel demand for materials used in EV batteries—materials like lithium, cobalt, graphite, and nickel.
But these materials are often found in regions where mining conditions raise serious ethical concerns. The Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, produces two-thirds of the world’s cobalt, while Indonesia is a major supplier of nickel. These countries face issues related to labor rights and environmental degradation, making the case for battery recycling even more urgent.
Altilium’s facility in Tavistock, UK, located in a quiet town surrounded by the rugged Dartmoor landscape, is addressing this challenge by creating a circular economy for EV batteries. The company extracts valuable materials from “black mass”—the dark powder created by shredding old batteries—and recycles them for reuse in new EV batteries.
Innovative Recycling Techniques for Precious Materials
The process starts with the disintegration of used EV batteries. Altilium’s team grinds old batteries into fine particles, each smaller than a millimeter, creating a dark powder that contains both unwanted materials like plastic and steel, and valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
From there, Altilium’s lab technicians use solvent extraction and hydrometallurgy—a technique involving water-based chemistry—to isolate and recover these metals. Unlike traditional methods, Altilium’s approach avoids high-heat techniques that are harmful to the environment, such as pyrometallurgy. Instead, they use a gentler, more sustainable process that allows them to reclaim the valuable metals while keeping carbon emissions low.
Scaling Up to Meet Global Demand
Altilium’s progress has been slow but steady. Starting in 2020, they faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic but persevered. By 2022, they expanded into a new facility in Tavistock, initially an empty warehouse, which has now become the hub for their ground-breaking recycling work. The company plans to scale up even further with a new facility near Plymouth, set to process even larger quantities of black mass.
Their technology is still in its early stages, but Altilium is one of the few companies globally that are focused on EV battery recycling. This makes their work essential to ensuring the future of EVs. “We need to bust the myth that batteries go to landfill,” says Christian Marston, Altilium’s president. His message is clear: EV batteries are valuable, and recycling them is key to minimizing waste and reducing the need for new mining.
Challenges and Global Investment in Recycling
Despite the promise of battery recycling, the sector faces significant hurdles. The complexity of modern EV batteries makes recycling them a tough task. EV batteries contain both anode and cathode layers, each made from different materials like graphite, nickel, lithium, and cobalt. Separating these materials safely is no easy feat, as many are flammable or toxic.
Despite these challenges, global efforts to improve recycling techniques are growing. Altilium’s work is supported by recent initiatives like the Biden administration’s climate goals in the United States, which encourage companies to invest in battery recycling technologies. Companies like Li-Cycle, Redwood Materials, and Ecobat Solutions are also making strides in the sector.
However, as battery recycling is still in its infancy, experts like Xiaochu Wei of Imperial College London note that it remains in the “early industrial stage.” The technology is improving, but it will take time to achieve the scale needed to meet global demands.
The Road to a Circular Economy and Climate Goals
As governments around the world push for increased sustainability, the role of recycling in supporting a circular economy becomes ever more important. In Europe, the 2023 Battery Regulation sets ambitious targets for recycling efficiency, aiming for higher rates of material recovery from used batteries.
According to Marston, the future of economies will depend heavily on who controls the resources used in batteries. By controlling battery recycling, the UK could reduce its reliance on foreign imports and strengthen its economic resilience. “Old EV batteries are a strategic asset,” he says. By processing them domestically, the UK can retain the economic value and create new jobs.
As Altilium continues to refine its processes and expand its facilities, the company is poised to lead the charge in the UK’s battery recycling sector. The company’s goal is to scale up operations to recycle 150,000 EV batteries per year—potentially reducing costs by 20% compared to new materials.
The success of battery recycling efforts like Altilium’s will help drive down the environmental costs of EV production while reducing the need for new mining. Ultimately, this innovation could meet up to 40% of the demand for battery materials by 2040, helping to support global climate goals and reduce dependence on mining.
As the EV market continues to grow, the demand for sustainable recycling will only increase. If Altilium’s efforts are successful, they will be at the forefront of a new era of resource efficiency and environmental responsibility.