This is part of the launch of Umicore’s latest generation of its proprietary recycling technology which it says has an improved metallurgical process with increased extraction efficiency of cobalt, nickel and copper to now reach over 95% yield for a variety of battery chemistries. It also uses new technology to recover most of the lithium. According to Umicore, the recovered metals are delivered in battery-grade quality at the end of the recycling process allowing them to be re-circulated into the production of new Li-ion batteries.
The company says that its battery recycling plant in Hoboken, Belgium, has an annual capacity of 7.000 tons of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and battery production scrap, the equivalent of 35,000 electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
The recycling technology will be installed at ACC’s pilot plant in Nersac, France, the company said.
“By recovering key critical elements for the Li-ion battery supply chain, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper, in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way, Umicore is leading the way towards a battery circular economy, providing solutions to the growing demand for sustainably sourced materials while lowering their CO2 impact,” said Denis Goffaux, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT of Umicore.