Graphite recovery partnership to bring circularity to battery manufacturing

UK-based Altilium said its proprietary recycling process can recover over 99 per cent of the graphite from end-of-life EV batteries, while Australian multinational Talga has developed green anode production technology said to result in lower CO2 emissions from EV manufacture.

Graphite comprises up to 50 per cent of lithium-ion batteries by volume, but according to Altilium recycling of graphite has been largely overlooked as recyclers have focused on reclaiming cathode metals from battery scrap.

A growing shortfall in graphite supply is expected over the next decade and China (which refines over 90 per cent of the world’s graphite) has announced controls on exports, making a shift towards self-sufficiency critical for the UK to meet the growing needs of new green industries.

According to forecasts by the Advanced Propulsion Centre, UK anode demand for graphite is forecast to reach 46,000MT by 2027, growing to 95,000MT by 2030. Altilium’s planned Teesside recycling plant will have capacity to recover 20,000MT of graphite a year, enough to meet over 20 per cent of UK demand by 2030.