Altilium and Enva Sign MOU for EV Battery Recycling Partnership

Enva, a leading recycling and resource recovery specialist, and Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the transition to net zero, have today announced a new strategic partnership for the collection and recycling of EV batteries in the UK.

As the number of electric vehicles and battery powered devices increases, the partnership brings together Enva’s nationwide collection infrastructure and extensive relationships with car dealerships, along with Altilium’s expertise in the recycling of old EV batteries and recovery of critical materials, including lithium, marking a significant step towards the creation of a circular economy for battery minerals in the UK.

Under the MOU, Enva and Altilium will work together to explore several key initiatives, including the safe handling and collection of EV batteries from across the UK for recycling using Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process. Using advanced hydrometallurgical recycling processes, Altilium can recover over 95% of the battery metals, in a format that can be directly reused in the production of new batteries. 

The arrangement with Enva will provide significant commercial benefits to Altilium, by eliminating the need to establish its own collection infrastructure and direct relationships with multiple waste producers and automotive OEMs. 

The partnership will also provide feed for Altilium’s Teesside refinery (ACT 4), the only planned facility in the UK refining lithium-ion waste to battery-ready Cathode Active Materials (CAM) for direct reuse in new battery production. The plant will have the capacity to recycle waste batteries from 150,000 EVs a year, producing 30,000 MT of CAM, enough to meet 20% of the expected UK demand by 2030.

Michael Sneath, Managing Director of Enva’s Lubricants and Batteries Division, commented: “We are excited to partner with Altilium to develop a comprehensive and sustainable supply chain for EV battery recycling in the UK. Expert handling and storage of this potentially hazardous material is paramount. This collaboration will solve an emerging problem for our customers, enhancing the UK’s recycling capabilities and contributing to the circular economy by transforming used batteries into valuable raw materials for new batteries.”

Rod Savage, Altilium’s Program Director for End-of-Life Batteries, added: “By leveraging Enva’s collection network and our processing expertise, we aim to set a new standard in battery recycling, ensuring maximum recovery of materials and supporting the growth of the EV market in an environmentally responsible way.”

Over the next decade, over 100 million EV batteries are expected to reach end of life globally. By creating a domestic ecosystem for recycling these batteries, Altilium and Enva are building a sustainable solution for battery disposal, ensuring that valuable resources remain in the UK supply chain and contributing to the broader goals of reducing carbon emissions. 

Altilium is the only company in the UK recycling and upcycling old EV batteries to produce high nickel CAM for direct reuse in new EV batteries. The company’s proprietary EcoCathode™ process results in a 60% reduction in carbon emissions and 20% lower costs compared to virgin materials, paving the way for the production of more affordable and even cleaner EVs.

About Altilium

Altilium is a UK-based clean tech group that will reshape the UK and European automotive supply chain by offering high volume, low carbon domestic sources of cathode and anode materials from recycling waste streams already in circulation, such as lithium scrap.

The company’s proprietary EcoCathode process converts end-of-life EV batteries and manufacturing scrap into domestic, sustainable, battery precursors, cathode active materials (CAM) and cathode precursor (pCAM) for direct reuse in new batteries.

Altilium’s first mini-commercial plant is currently under construction in Plymouth while its planned Teesside plant will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe. The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from over 150,000 EVs per year, producing 30,000 MT of CAM, enough to meet around 20% of the UK’s expected needs by 2030.  

The company is backed by SQM Lithium Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the lithium business of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM).