M2i Global has entered a strategic partnership with Volato Group (a private aviation software company) and Regenerate Technology Global to deploy advanced battery recycling technologies in the US, with a focus that includes lead-acid battery processing.
The agreement will see the companies explore sites for new recycling facilities, with the aim of scaling domestic “upcycling” of battery materials and strengthening critical mineral supply chains.
Central to the initiative is Regenerate’s hydrometallurgical process, which extracts and refines metals from end-of-life batteries using a chemistry-based approach rather than traditional smelting. The companies claim the process can reduce energy use by more than 80%, cut emissions by up to 90%, and lower costs while producing battery-grade materials.
The technology is applicable to multiple chemistries, including lead-acid, lithium-ion and alkaline batteries, and is designed to improve the quality of recovered “black mass”, reducing downstream processing requirements.
For the lead-acid sector, Regenerate is already developing capacity in Europe. In Bologna, Italy, the company is scaling a recycling facility targeting around 49,000 tonnes per year of lead-acid batteries, while its UK operations focus on research and process development in collaboration with the University of Cambridge.
Major General (Ret) Alberto Rosende, CEO of M2i Global, said: “Regenerate has demonstrated its proprietary processes and value-add in lead-acid battery recycling, lithium-ion battery recycling and alkaline battery recycling at its operations in Europe. We are excited to partner with Regenerate to bring battery recycling to the U.S.”
David Batstone, CEO and co-founder of Regenerate Technology Global, added: “Together, we are setting new standards for recycling and designs for next-generation mobile and storage batteries, while prioritising ethical sourcing and renewable energy sustainability.”
The partners said the collaboration is intended to improve supply chain resilience and support domestic sourcing of battery materials, as the US seeks to reduce reliance on imported critical minerals.
Regenerate’s process, developed in collaboration with Cambridge University materials scientists, is designed to eliminate toxic by-products associated with conventional recycling while enabling closed-loop recovery of metals suitable for new battery production.
The announcement comes as M2i Global and Volato continue to pursue a proposed merger, aimed at combining critical minerals sourcing with software-driven supply chain management capabilities.
Photo: The United States rendered as a lead-acid battery
Credit: An AI-generated image from Shutterstock
