A Devon technology company that is developing a way to recycle and reuse the materials in electric vehicle batteries has struck a deal to develop a lithium supply chain.
Lithium is a critical component in EV batteries and demand is set to increase significantly over the coming decade as adoption of electric vehicles accelerates.
Altilium recently opened its ACT2 recycling facility in Plymouth which will recover high volumes of lithium and other battery metals from end-of-life EV batteries and production scrap, for re-entry into the British supply chain.
It has now announced a new partnership with major chemicals company HELM AG, through its UK subsidiary LevertonHELM. The agreement will see the two companies working together to develop a sustainable domestic supply chain for lithium in Britain.
The companies are aiming to reduce the UK’s reliance on imported raw materials and support the transition to a greener economy.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, LevertonHELM will initially qualify technical grade lithium carbonate recovered from end-of-life EV batteries and production scrap at Altilium’s recycling facilities in Devon. It is expected to lead to offtake and tolling agreements for the supply of recycled lithium in the UK.
Basingstoke-headquartered LevertonHELM is a producer of high-quality lithium chemicals with a worldwide customer base across demanding industrial applications. The two companies will also explore the joint development of alternative lithium processing techniques.
Stefan Berner Beltrán, principal engineer and lithium raw materials lead at Altilium, said: “This is a great opportunity to support the UK’s efforts to secure such an important mineral for the energy transition. By working together on alternative technologies, we can unlock the most value from domestic urban mining, aiming for greener and more efficient refining processes.”
Merve Cruz, director partnerships and strategic sourcing at HELM Energy Materials, added: “Partnering with Altilium is a promising step forward in developing the HELM lithium portfolio. The planned alliance underlines our focus on specialized solutions and the much-needed approach of recycling existing resources to support a sustainable supply chain for lithium, especially in Europe and the UK.”
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