The project is groundbreaking in that it is a first for the UK, demonstrating battery cells produced with recovered cathode active materials (CAM) which will be validated for use in vehicles with a leading automotive OEM. It is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Center UK, under the latest round of its Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) competition.
Working alongside JLR, a global luxury car manufacturer, Altilium will use its advanced EcoCathode process to deliver a significant carbon reduction in EVs. By recovering critical materials including lithium, cobalt and nickel, Altilium's process reduces the need for newly mined materials, resulting in a 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions.
JLR will conduct comprehensive validation studies on the pouch cells at its cutting-edge battery testing facilities.
Production of the battery cells is planned to take place at the UK Battery Industrialization Center (UKBIC), the UK's national battery manufacturing scale-up facility, using recovered battery materials produced by Altilium at its new mini-commercial ACT2 facility, as well as its ACT1 pilot, both in Devon.
“By demonstrating that EV battery cells made from recovered materials can meet the rigorous standards of the automotive industry, we're not only reducing the environmental impact of battery production but also supporting the UK's efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient EV supply chain” said Dr Christian Marston, Altilium COO. “This project is a vital milestone in our mission to decarbonize the battery value chain and support automotive OEMs in achieving their regulatory and sustainability goals.”
The project builds on Altilium's previously announced partnership with UKBIC, supported by Innovate UK's Faraday Battery Challenge, to begin rapid prototyping of EV battery cells using recycled CAM. Both projects will be crucial in de-risking the scale-up of Altilium's battery recycling operations and helping to strengthen the UK's position in the global EV supply chain.
“Our role in the battery ecosystem is to help companies provide their new materials and technologies can be industrialized, and working with Altilium will help them prove their recycled CAM can be an effective option in future EV batteries” added Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director of UKBIC .
According to new research by the Faraday Institution, demand for UK EV battery manufacturing capacity will reach nearly 110 GWh per annum in 2030. In order to meet this demand, the UK will need to secure substantial amounts of raw materials, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, needed to manufacture EV batteries. The development of a sustainable domestic supply chain for these materials will therefore be critical for the electrification of transport in the UK.
Altilium's planned Teesside hub will be the UK's largest integrated battery recycling facility, capable of processing 150,000 EV batteries annually and supplying 30,000tpa of CAM back into the UK's growing gigafactory complex.
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