Why are you considering adopting an electric vehicle? Perhaps to reduce the cost of your individual transport – we’ll talk about that in an upcoming article. Or perhaps because of environmental concerns, to reduce the carbon impact generated by using your car! This concern for the environment generates an interest in the life cycle of the product that powers your electric vehicle: its battery. After many years of loyal service on your daily journeys, what happens to this obsolete battery? How is the waste it generates treated, recycled and reused?
In Europe, recycling is a regulatory obligation for car manufacturers. The recycling market is booming: a promising outlook, set against a backdrop of legislation and planning at European level. But the development of this new sector presents a number of challenges, at a time when the volume of batteries to be recycled is growing significantly. ACC supports the development of recycling at European level, and explains all the issues involved.
The growth of the recycling market: reducing mining raw materials in favour of recycled components
It is estimated that by 2030, the volume of batteries to be recycled will reach more than one million tonnes in Europe. Far from being a marginal industry, battery recycling presents both a volume challenge and a growth opportunity: the European market is expected to reach a value of €15 billion within 5 years.
Recycling batteries at the end of their life cycle is not only crucial for rational waste management, it is also an opportunity to reuse raw materials. Needs in this area are also growing. By 2030, the European Commission predicts that Europe will need 18 times more lithium and 5 times more cobalt than it did in 2023.
These materials, like all the basic components of a battery (nickel, graphite), are now mainly derived from mining sources, and supplied via raw materials suppliers. China now controls most of this market.
Being able to source batteries from a secondary source, i.e. recycled components, is of interest on two levels. Firstly, in terms of sustainability: it reduces mining, which accounts for 80% of the carbon impact of battery production. Secondly, in terms of European sovereignty, since sourcing from a local recycling network reduces Europe’s dependence on China. It’s also a more transparent and controllable source of supply.
The creation of a European battery ecosystem, based on the circular economy, therefore promises a more sustainable supply and a reduction in the continent’s dependence on China. It presents real opportunities for innovation and the creation of highly skilled jobs in Europe.
EU battery regulation: a European commitment to recycling
In 2023, the European Union adopted a regulation – the EU battery regulation – aimed at improving the technological progress of batteries and reducing their environmental impact. The regulation sets out requirements covering the entire battery life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to production, collection and recycling.
The targets are ambitious: by 2027, at least 50% of the lithium in batteries will have to be recovered. This rate will rise to 80% by the end of 2031. Cobalt, copper and nickel will have to be recycled at a rate of 90% by 2027, and 95% by 2030.
From 2031, batteries placed on the market will have to contain a minimum proportion of recycled materials in their composition: 16% cobalt, 6% lithium and 6% nickel.
In Europe, several players are developing to support this desire for circularity, and the recycling network is expanding. In order to pursue the development that we support and hope for, the support of the European Union will be necessary and crucial in the years to come.
Improving circularity: initial measures and long-term projections
These measures taken by the European Union are in line with our commitment and the measures we are already taking to improve circularity:
– Reduce and recycle our production waste
All our production waste is recycled. We have established contracts with two partners equipped with specialised technologies capable of processing this specific waste, extracting and recycling the strategic materials. Ultimately, our aim is to reintegrate these materials into our production..
– Increase the proportion of materials of recycled origin, and eventually use only recyclable materials, to reduce the pressure on raw materials.
These measures can be found in our CSR Report 2023.
Battery recycling: a complex process
Recycling batteries requires considerable technological expertise. Transforming an apparently obsolete battery into valuable new resources involves several levels of complexity.
The European Union requires manufacturers to organise and collect used batteries. As the number of batteries to be recycled is expected to rise, the problem of organising their collection and safe transport to recycling sites arises. Prior to recycling, and if the technological recycling solution chosen so requires, the batteries must undergo in-depth diagnostic processes, be made safe and discharged.
In Europe, emerging recycling technologies make it possible to recover ‘ black mass ’: once the batteries have been collected, they are dismantled and crushed to obtain this active powder, a mixture of materials that initially made up the anode and cathode (copper, manganese, lithium, cobalt, nickel). The recoverable metal oxides it contains are then separated using hydrometallurgical processes.
The most effective solutions available today can already recover up to 95% of battery components, including lithium, cobalt and nickel.
Challenges and prospects
Battery recycling presents a real challenge in terms of volume: the battery recycling industry is still in its infancy in Europe. Its infrastructure will have to evolve rapidly to adapt to growing demand, and potential constraints are to be expected over the next few years.
ACC is already assessing the industrial roadmap and technologies of tomorrow’s projects and players in Europe, with a view to choosing the best suppliers for recycling its production waste when the recycling offer matures.
Improving recovery rates, particularly for lithium, is currently a key area of focus for the recycling industry, and will require significant investment in research and development to support innovation.
To strengthen the resilience and sustainability of supply chains, circular economy strategies are needed: battery reuse and recycling, as well as policies to increase recycling rates, are among them. Although current recycling practices recover valuable materials, there is a need to further improve their efficiency and economic viability. A combination of technological developments and efficient recycling systems is essential to reduce dependence on primary raw materials, and promises to increase European industrial sovereignty.
As the recycling market grows and matures, we are already focusing on controlling and continuously improving our manufacturing processes to minimise production waste. The adoption of effective recycling strategies at European level will help to reduce the environmental impact of battery production and dependence on Chinese suppliers, and create a sustainable future for electric mobility.
Source:
PLUGGED IN #1 – Battery recycling: Supporting and organising circularity | Automotive Cells Company
