Altilium recently undertook a life cycle assessment (LCA) with leading UK sustainability consulting and advisory group Minviro to quantify the climate change impacts of cathode and anode materials produced using its proprietary process compared to the equivalent products produced via primary raw material extraction and alternative recycling technologies.
The results revealed significant reductions in climate change impact compared to primary raw materials from a Chinese supply chain, as well as other recycling processes:
74% reduction in GHG emissions for cathode materials compared to mining
A key finding was that NMC532 cathode produced using Altilium’s recycled feedstock could be up to 74% lower in climate change impact compared to the same cathode material produced using primary production in China, when assuming the primary nickel production route with the highest global warming potential in Minviro’s database.
For car manufacturers this represents a critical step towards reducing the emissions of materials used in the production of new EVs. Domestic transport remains the largest emitting sector in the UK, accounting for 29.1% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. While EVs are pivotal in reducing emissions, the environmental impact of battery production must also be addressed for a truly sustainable future. Altilium’s breakthrough solutions provide an answer to this challenge, dramatically cutting GHG emissions associated with battery manufacturing.
24% reduction in GHG emissions compared to standard hydrometallurgical process
Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process also delivers significant improvements in climate change impact compared to other hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical recycling processes.
The LCA confirms that production of NMC 532 cathode materials from recycled battery waste using Altilium’s propriety process results in a 24% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to a standard hydrometallurgical flowsheet.
These reductions would be 43% lower in a scenario where Altilium’s recycled materials are produced at its ACT 4 site using renewable energy.
Incumbent recycling processes rely heavily on pyrometallurgical recycling, which was shown to have the second highest climate change impact when used to produce cathode materials (after primary production). This is due to the high climate change intensity of pyrometallurgical recycling, specifically the direct CO2 emissions and the electricity requirements.
While hydrometallurgy has a lower environmental impact compared to pyrometallurgy, Altilium’s EcoCathode™ process offers even further reductions in GHG emissions compared to a standard hydromet flowsheet, making it an attractive choice for automotive OEMs seeking to minimise environmental impacts.
77% reduction in GHG emissions for anode materials
In addition to cathode recycling, Minviro also looked at Altilium’s EcoAnode™ process, which offers a groundbreaking solution for recovering graphite from old EV batteries. Minviro’s analysis shows that this process delivers a 77% reduction in GHG emissions for production of anode materials compared to primary production from China (assuming a supply chain route of synthetic graphite from Inner Mongolia).
Graphite is a critical material in lithium-ion batteries, comprising up to 50% of their volume. China currently controls over 90% of global supply and earlier this year introduced restrictions on exports to the rest of the world. Building a domestic supply chain for graphite is therefore critical for the growth of the UK’s EV industry, with anode demand projected to reach 107,000 MT by 2035, according to the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK.
UK’s most sustainable battery materials
Through these advancements, Altilium is delivering the UK’s most sustainable battery materials and helping car manufacturers meet their decarbonisation goals. Our green processing technologies not only reduce the environmental impact of EV battery production, but also ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical battery materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite.
As the EV market continues to expand and regulatory pressure to recycle grows, Altilium’s innovative technology will be essential in scaling up battery recycling efforts to meet the needs of a more sustainable world.
About the LCA
To conduct the LCA, data was first collected by Altilium on their recycling and CAM processes, and supplemented by Minviro for the processes that are not controlled by Altilium. Minviro then compiled the life cycle inventory and conducted the life cycle impact assessment for several scenarios of different primary and recycled feedstock sources for cathode and anode production. The outcome was an ISO-compliant 14040/14067 LCA report, which was verified through a critical panel review process consisting of three industry and LCA experts.
