The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has released its Quarterly Demand Report, highlighting the need to expand UK battery recycling capacity as black mass availability is set to exceed refining capability across Europe in the coming decade.
An accompanying Automotive Battery Recycling Insight report stresses the growing role of end‑of‑life battery materials in global and UK strategies, including the updated Critical Minerals Strategy published in November 2025. It notes that up to 20% of UK automotive battery demand could be met from secondary materials recovered from scrap and end‑of‑life batteries.
The APC also models the UK’s ambition to produce 1.3 million vehicles annually by 2035. This target, part of the UK Industrial Strategy, would drive 20% additional demand for batteries and electrified components compared with current forecasts.
“At a crucial juncture of geopolitical tariffs and supply chain constraints, the UK has the potential to begin to secure its vital critical minerals supply chain by exploiting the materials present in the automotive batteries,” said Dr Hadi Moztarzadeh, head of technology trends at APC. “The Battery Recycling Report provides an overview of the potential within the UK’s automotive industry and how we can leverage secondary materials for a sustainable future. Some of the key structural challenges and barriers that can prevent the mass adoption of recycling initiatives have been analysed.”
Although only a few UK battery recycling facilities will be viable in the short term, capacity is expected to grow significantly over the next 10–20 years. Universities and projects such as RECOVAS and RELIB are already advancing UK recycling research.
