The new European battery regulation aims to ensure that batteries placed in the EU market are sustainable and safe throughout their entire life cycle. This calls for new, innovative and low-cost processes, new logistics and business incentives.
Mining in Europe and extensive recycling will be inevitable if Europe is to be more self-sufficient in battery minerals. During 2023, the EC published the Critical Raw Materials Act targeting domestic processing and refining for strategic raw materials; among them are Ni, Co and Mn. Securing a steady supply of battery grade metals and materials requires sophisticated technology for production, refining and recycling. Stable reagent circulation, minimized use of chemicals and reducing environmental impacts is also part of the equation.
The projects in Battery 2030+ for raw materials comprise research and innovation activities focusing on improved battery metal and material production. Flexible technology and pilot scale solutions for sustainable production of battery-grade precursors and their anode and cathode materials, applied to materials from primary and secondary sources are also part of the efforts.
Circularity and Recycling
New batteries produced in Europe must also include recycled materials. To significantly improve the recovery rate of critical raw materials is the goal for the projects within recycling in B 2030+. This includes prediction and modelling tools for the reuse of materials in secondary applications.
A major challenge for dismantling and recycling is the complexity of batteries incorporating micro-components, embedded electronics, active and inactive material, binding material and alike. Hence, today’s recycling is a multi-step recovery process and there are presently no available methods for efficient component separation. This causes high recycling costs.