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Adam Hewitt
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EMR strengthens the EV revolution with pioneering new battery recycling centre

Global leader in sustainable materials, EMR, has opened its first UK-based electric vehicle battery recycling centre at its Birmingham facility, furthering its mission to deliver a circular supply chain for this increasingly critical technology.

 

EMR strengthens the EV revolution with pioneering new battery recycling centre p
(l-r) Chris Sheppard, Chief Executive of EMR, Julian Hetherington, Automotive Transformation Director at the APC, Helen Waters, Head of Electric Battery Recycling at EMR, Tony Harper Challenge Director for the Faraday Battery Challenge at UKRI.

The centre is EMR’s second such facility. In 2024, EMR opened a site in Hamburg, Germany, in partnership with Northvolt, one of Europe’s largest battery manufacturers.

The Birmingham facility was officially opened on 18 September with a special ceremony attended by some of the largest names in the automotive sector, including partners from the RECOVAS consortium, such as Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, and BMW. The event marked a significant milestone for the UK’s EV industry, showcasing EMR’s continued leadership in sustainable solutions.

The facility will have the capacity to test for reuse or repair or process batteries ready for shredding, handling more than 2,000 tonnes of batteries per year. These high-performance EV batteries will be essential in enabling the automotive industry to decarbonise in the years ahead, so it is vital that they can be sustainably reused, remanufactured, or recycled to safeguard the valuable resources in them, including cobalt, lithium, and nickel.

As the UK’s largest end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycler, EMR has embraced this challenge as part of its long-standing commitment to sustainability and investment in groundbreaking technology. Batteries arriving at the site – initially sourced via product recalls, warranty failures, and end-of-life e-bikes and e-scooters – will be assessed to determine whether the battery pack can be reused in a new vehicle, remanufactured for use in the energy storage sector, or recycled.

The multi-million-pound plant follows EMR’s involvement in the RECOVAS consortium, a collaborative research and development project launched in 2020 with grant funding from the Department for Business and Trade via the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC). The project’s aim is to develop the UK’s first commercial-scale recycling facility for automotive battery packs.

‘Exciting chapter’

Chris Sheppard, Chief Executive of EMR, said: 

“This is an exciting new chapter in EMR’s history, and I’m proud of our team’s hard work in making this possible. The Birmingham facility is the latest in our efforts to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve in sustainability, innovation, and technology. By creating a circular supply chain for EV batteries, we are not only supporting the UK’s transition to net zero, but we are also setting a benchmark for others to follow in this rapidly evolving industry.”

Julian Hetherington, Automotive Transformation Director at the APC, added: 

“The opening of EMR’s battery recycling facility is a significant step forward in the UK’s EV journey. At the APC, we are proud to support such initiatives, which will play a crucial role in decarbonising the automotive industry. By recycling and remanufacturing batteries, EMR is addressing one of the key challenges in the EV supply chain and helping to secure a sustainable future for electric mobility.”

Helen Waters, Head of Electric Battery Recycling at EMR, concluded: 

“The transition to EVs is one of the most exciting developments in the automotive industry’s history and is an essential step on its path to net zero.

A truly sustainable industry will require an effective circular supply chain for these vehicles’ state-of-the-art batteries, and the opening of EMR’s new EV battery recycling centre is a huge step towards this goal. It comes after more than four years of research alongside our RECOVAS partners and two years of development at this site.

As always with EMR, safety and environmental protection are at the heart of our approach to EV battery recycling. We use market-leading systems and software to de-risk the process of discharging the cells prior to recycling, and our high-voltage testing team is led by former Jaguar Land Rover EV battery technician Sanjay Kundu.

While the transition to EVs is now speeding up, it will be 10 to 15 years before they arrive at EMR facilities in anything like the same quantities that petrol-powered vehicles do today. The opening of this new facility at EMR Birmingham is further proof that EMR is solving tomorrow’s challenges today.”

For more information on EMR, visit uk.emrgroup.com or call 01925 715400

Image courtesy of EMR

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Adam Hewitt

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e2e Total Loss Vehicle Management [e2e] is the UK’s only salvage and automotive recycling network with nationwide, environmentally compliant sites delivering performance resilience and service reliability to the insurance and fleet markets.  The network’s online salvage auction www.salvagemarket.co.uk drives strong salvage resale values and faster sales.  e2e’s salvage clients have access to the network’s stocks of over 5 million quality graded, warranty assured reclaimed parts. 

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The salvage and recycling operating environment is evolving rapidly, and e2e is anticipating, listening and responding to changing market needs.  Regulatory compliance, ESG, reclaimed parts, customer experience, EVs, new vehicle technologies, data and reputation risk are just some of many considerations linked to the procurement of salvage services.  e2e will drive further added value to clients and members through the adoption and application of emerging technologies, continuing to differentiate its proposition and position salvage services as a professional partnership. 

Owain Griffiths

Owain Griffiths

Head of Circular Economy at Volvo Cars

Owain joined Volvo Cars in June 2021 to lead Circular Economy in the Global Sustainability Team. The company has committed to being a circular business by 2040 and has financial, recycled content and CO2 based targets for 2025, all of which Owain is working across the company to make happen. Owain previously worked for circular economy consultancy Oakdene Hollins where he advised businesses on evidence led circular economy implementation. 

Turning into a circular business and the importance of vehicle reuse and recycling.

The presentation will cover the work Volvo Cars is doing to achieve 2025 but mainly focus on the transformational work towards 2040 and the business and value chain changes being considered. Attention will be paid to the way vehicles are being dealt with at the end of life and the complexities of closing material and component loops. Opportunities and challenges which Volvo Cars is facing will be presented including engagement with 3rd parties and increasing pressure from stakeholders.

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