In this episode, Imogen visits Altilium in Plymouth to see how old electric vehicle batteries are being transformed into brand-new battery materials, using a process that can recover over 95% of critical minerals including lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
Today, the UK imports 100% of the materials needed to build EV batteries. But by recycling “black mass”, the shredded remains of end-of-life battery packs and gigafactory waste, Altilium is producing battery-grade cathode active materials (CAM) right here in Britain.
Imogen breaks down the chemistry behind the process, Altilium’s plans to scale and compares the real-world efficiency of recycling versus mining virgin materials, revealing why battery recycling could be a game-changer for the industry.
With Brexit rules of origin tightening in 2027 and tariffs looming on imported batteries, domestic recycling is becoming a strategic necessity for UK carmakers like Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan.
Is this the missing link to bolster the UK’s EV supply chain?!
0:00 – Introduction
1:20 – Inside Altilium’s Facility
1:46 – Where Does Black Mass Come From?
3:00 – Critical Minerals
3:29 – Creating Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate
6:03 – Battery Recycling Vs Mining
8:15 – The Industrial Process
9:55 – UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy
10:54 – Brexit Factor
11:36 – JLR Partnership and Testing Recycled Materials
12:36 – Where’s the Hard Science?
14:11 – Scaling Up!
14:56 – Large Scale Recycling Timescale
16:06 – Closing thoughts
Credit to : Everything Electric TECH