Swiss engineering group ABB and UK battery recycler Altilium signed a memorandum of understanding to explore how to scale up battery materials recycling.
ABB will introduce the design and delivery of control systems equipment and technological solutions for Altilium’s UK pilot battery recycling scheme. It will produce cathode active material (CAM) from used EV batteries.
The pair will retrofit Altilium’s European solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) facility in eastern Europe. It is due to start processing battery waste in 2024. They will also develop a planned UK plant in Teesside from 2026 that will create 20% of the country’s required CAM, making it one of the largest projects in the region.
ABB said its technology and approach will speed up Altilium’s time to market and support the provision of scalable solutions.
Altilium opened its EV battery recycling technology centre in Devon in 2022 and claims to be the only company in the UK producing CAM recovered from EV battery waste. Its first European plant will recycle battery waste from over 24,000 vehicles a year. The UK facility, to be sited in Teesside, will process waste from over 150,000 EVs annually, producing 30,000 tonnes of CAM.
