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Altilium, a clean technology group based in the UK that focuses on facilitating the transition to net-zero emissions, has unveiled an innovative project aimed at producing and validating electric vehicle (EV) battery cells using materials sourced from decommissioned EV batteries.
This initiative marks a significant milestone for the UK, as it will showcase battery cells created from reclaimed cathode active materials (CAM), which will undergo validation for use in vehicles by a prominent automotive manufacturer.
The project received backing from the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK as part of the latest iteration of its Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) competition.
In collaboration with JLR, a renowned luxury vehicle manufacturer, Altilium plans to utilize its advanced EcoCathode™ process to achieve substantial reductions in carbon emissions associated with EV production. By reclaiming essential materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, this process lessens the reliance on newly extracted resources, leading to a remarkable 60% decrease in carbon emissions.
JLR will carry out extensive validation tests on the pouch cells using their state-of-the-art battery testing facilities.
Battery cell production is set to occur at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national facility dedicated to scaling up battery manufacturing in the UK. The materials used will be recovered battery materials produced by Altilium at its new mini-commercial ACT2 facility and the ACT1 pilot facility, both located in Devon.
Dr. Christian Marston, COO of Altilium, stated: “We take pride in leading this groundbreaking project in partnership with JLR, which brings us closer to establishing a circular economy for battery materials in the UK. By demonstrating that EV battery cells produced from reclaimed materials can meet the stringent requirements of the automotive sector, we are not only minimizing the environmental footprint of battery production but also bolstering the UK’s drive to create a more sustainable and resilient EV supply chain. This project represents a crucial step in our quest to decarbonize the battery value chain and assist automotive manufacturers in achieving their regulatory and sustainability objectives.”
This project builds on Altilium’s earlier partnership with UKBIC, which is supported by Innovate UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge. This collaboration aims to initiate rapid prototyping for EV battery cells utilizing recycled CAM. Both initiatives are crucial in mitigating the risks associated with scaling up Altilium’s battery recycling processes and enhancing the UK’s standing within the global EV supply chain.
Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director of UKBIC, remarked: “We are pleased to be involved in this groundbreaking project, which will propel the industry towards an even cleaner future. Our role within the battery ecosystem is to assist companies in demonstrating that their new materials and technologies can be industrialized, and working with Altilium will help validate that their recycled CAM can serve as a viable option for future EV batteries.”
Recent research by the Faraday Institution indicates that the demand for EV battery manufacturing capacity in the UK is expected to reach nearly 110 GWh per year by 2030. To comply with this demand, the UK will need to secure significant quantities of raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel necessary for manufacturing EV batteries. Therefore, the establishment of a sustainable domestic supply chain for these materials is crucial for the electrification of transportation in the UK.
Altilium’s proposed Teesside hub is set to become the UK’s largest integrated battery recycling facility, with the capability to process 150,000 EV batteries annually and supplying 30,000 tons per annum of CAM to support the burgeoning gigafactory sector in the UK.
SOURCE: Altilium
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