Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the transition to net zero, is pleased to announce the commencement of its recycling operations for Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries in the UK. The LFP batteries being recycled are from a leading global electric vehicle and energy storage systems manufacturer.
The strategic move underscores Altilium’s commitment to building a sustainable UK supply chain for critical battery materials and reducing the environmental impact of battery production.
Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode™ technology can recover over 97% of the lithium and 99% of the graphite from LFP batteries for reuse in new batteries. This highly efficient process not only strengthens the business model for recycling LFP batteries, but also enables automotive OEMs to meet new regulatory targets and sustainability goals.
As LFP battery technology gains momentum in the UK’s EV and ESS markets, Altilium’s recycling operations will play a pivotal role in ensuring that these new technologies are both sustainable and resource efficient. Currently, most EVs use nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) batteries, but the rise of LFP presents new opportunities for recycling and resource conservation.
According to the Advanced Propulsion Centre, LFP batteries are set to grow from 18% of the UK EV market in 2027 to 25% in 2035. This shift to LFP batteries presents a challenge for battery recyclers, as the iron and phosphate are less valuable than nickel and cobalt. As a result, LFP batteries are currently less likely to be recycled. Altilium is addressing this challenge by recovering more of the lithium, which is a high-value material, as well as recycling the graphite, which be reused in the production of new anodes.
Dr Christian Marston, Altilium COO, commented:
“The rise of LFP batteries presents both challenges and opportunities for recyclers. At Altilium, we are pioneering solutions to ensure these batteries are not only recovered, but play a key role in a UK circular battery economy. Our advanced EcoCathode™ technology allows us to efficiently extract lithium and graphite, making LFP recycling commercially viable and environmentally essential. By expanding our capabilities to process LFP alongside NMC batteries, we are strengthening the UK’s battery supply chain and supporting the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable transport sector.”
Altilium is already recycling NMC batteries from two leading UK-based automotive OEMs, as well as Gigafactory production scrap, to produce modern high-nickel cathode active materials (CAM) at its ACT1 and ACT2 facilities in Devon.
The company’s recently opened ACT2 recycling plant in Plymouth has the capacity to recover lithium and other battery metals from 300kg of black mass waste (the equivalent of one EV battery) per day, while its planned Teesside hub will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe. The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from over 150,000 EVs per year and has been designed to handle a mixed feed of battery chemistries, including LFP.
This latest innovation positions Altilium at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions for next generation battery technologies, while also strengthening the UK’s leadership position in the transition to EVs and a cleaner transport.
About Altilium
Altilium is a UK-based clean tech group that will reshape the UK and European automotive supply chain by offering high volume, low carbon domestic sources of cathode and anode materials from recycling waste streams already in circulation, such as end-of-life batteries.
The company’s proprietary EcoCathode™ process converts end-of-life EV batteries and manufacturing scrap into domestic, sustainable, battery precursors, cathode active materials (CAM) and cathode precursor (pCAM) for direct reuse in new batteries.
Altilium’s first mini-commercial plant recently commenced operations in Plymouth while its planned Teesside plant will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe. The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from over 150,000 EVs per year, producing 30,000 MT of CAM, enough to meet around 20% of the UK’s expected needs by 2030.
The company is backed by SQM Lithium Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the lithium business of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM), and Japanese trading and investment group Marubeni Corporation.
For more information, go to www.altilium.tech
