Glencore has announced it has entered a recycling joint venture with UK investor in battery cell technologies and R&D, Britishvolt, to develop a ‘world-leading ecosystem’ for battery recycling in the UK.
The ‘ecosystem’ will be anchored at a new recycling plant located at the Britannia Refined Metals operation (BRM) in Northfleet, a Glencore company and is expected to have a processing capacity of a minimum of 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries per year, including but not limited to valuable battery manufacturing scrap, portable electronics batteries and full electric vehicle (EV) packs.
The facility will process all Britishvolt’s battery manufacturing scrap from their Gigafactory in Blyth.
The facility is expected to be operational by mid-2023 with the long-term aim of being 100% powered by renewable energy.
The partnership will also look to develop other recycling activities such as the refining of black mass into battery grade raw materials.
This JV [joint venture] will help us both to create a truly sustainable battery value-chain, create jobs and develop new battery recycling technologies. Both Britishvolt and Glencore are fully committed to reducing carbon across the supply chain.
The joint venture will leverage Glencore’s multi-decade recycling experience across end of life materials such as discarded electronics, copper/alloy scraps and black mass.
Both companies believe that battery recycling will form a ‘key part’ of the energy transition, efficiently recovering the critical metals needed for the energy transition.
The aim is to help support the creation of a ‘genuinely circular economy that supplies recycled materials and minerals back into the battery supply chain’, it says.
David Brocas, head cobalt trader at Glencore, commented: “We are excited to deepen our partnership with Britishvolt. Both companies are united in their ambition to further the energy and mobility transition. Glencore has decades of recycling experience across multiple disciplines (e-waste/copper scrap/battery).
“This recycling partnership complements our long-term supply agreement for responsible cobalt from our operations in Norway and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We believe the opportunity to utilise BRM’s operations as a cutting-edge battery recycling facility will help support the development of a UK battery recycling industry.
“It will also play a part in furthering the UK’s climate ambitions as well as Glencore’s as we work towards net zero total emissions by 2050.”
‘Recycling is key’
Timon Orlob, global chief operating officer, Britishvolt: “This exciting project adds much to our existing relationship with Glencore supplying Britishvolt with responsibly-sourced cobalt.
“Recycling is key to a successful energy transition and has always been a major part of Britishvolt’s business model.
“We’ve been looking for the perfect partner to help kick start a UK battery recycling industry and FTSE 100-listed Glencore has expert historical experience in recycling.
“This JV [joint venture] will help us both to create a truly sustainable battery value-chain, create jobs and develop new battery recycling technologies. Both Britishvolt and Glencore are fully committed to reducing carbon across the supply chain.”
The partnership also aims to research how to make the recycling of EV batteries easier and more cost effective, maximising their supply chain value and to influence legislation, including increasing regulation of recycling and ESG requirements.
It will set out to also allow Britishvolt to assist its original equipment manufacturer customers on their path to sustainability, by offering hedging opportunities against swings in raw materials prices.
According to the Faraday Institution although large amounts of lithium-ion battery packs will be available for recycling from around 2028, there are no substantial recycling facilities currently in the UK.
Many UK manufacturers currently export used batteries to European facilities for recycling.
Greenpeace data also suggests that around 12.85 million tons of EV lithium-ion batteries will go offline between 2021 and 2030.
End of life EV batteries will become a valuable part of the battery supply chain and could further the creation of high-tech UK jobs.
