Against the backdrop of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, a global race is underway to secure the minerals required to produce masses of lithium-ion batteries. But next year, we will see that there is an alternative to new-battery production – a closed-loop battery industry, in which what goes in one end is ultimately returned, recycled and recirculated back into manufacturing. Done correctly, this could end the race for new minerals altogether.
In 2022, my team will produce the world’s first lithium-ion battery that features 100 per cent recycled active material. With recycling and production on the same site, they will provide proof that metals recovered from battery waste can serve as direct and complete substitutes for those mined around the world for battery production today.
To understand why this matters, consider two figures. First, in 2022, some 1.6 million EVs will enter the European market. Second, an average vehicle’s battery requires about 80kg of nickel, manganese, cobalt and lithium. That’s 80kg of raw, virgin materials for each vehicle. In the future, these will be replaced with metals sourced through recycling.
This first recycled battery will contribute to building a net-zero future. By combining reuse with clean energy for its manufacturing, it will enable us to reduce the carbon footprint of batteries by some 80 per cent.
It’s a widespread misconception that batteries cannot be recycled. But what others call battery waste (production scrap and end-of-life or damaged batteries) is in fact a valuable resource. We have already shown that, by recovering metals through hydrometallurgy rather than smelting, we can successfully recover up to 95 per cent of an old battery’s materials.
And it doesn’t just stop at recovery – we can restore them to the levels of purity required by the battery industry. In 2022, this essential component will not only demonstrate the validity of the recycling process itself, but show that producing batteries using recycled material does not compromise on safety or performance. Chemically and functionally, a fresh material cell and a recycled cell will be identical. The only difference will be that the environmental footprint of the recycled cell will be drastically improved. Our hope is that every battery manufacturer will embrace recycling themselves.
One battery will not change the world – but what it stands for might. The 1.6 million EVs expected to hit European roads in 2022 are but a fraction of the volumes that will arrive in coming years. The transition away from the combustion engine is a great development, but, without recycling, the environmental cost of this transition will be much greater than necessary. Fortunately, by using clean energy and recycled materials, next year will show it is entirely within our power to choose a different future for the new battery industry.
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
