Recycling: A boom in end-of-life electric car batteries?

Anna Vanderbruggen, a French researcher at the German research institute Helmholt, has developed a cost-effective method to recover graphite from end-of-life electric car batteries.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25£/month*

*billed annually at 99£/year for the first year then 149,00£/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2£/month*
then 14.90£ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The recovery of graphite from electric car batteries is a major challenge for the industry. Anna Vanderbruggen, a French researcher, has developed a method to recover this component in a cost-effective way. The growing demand for electric car batteries, which contain rare and expensive materials, makes recycling a must in the coming years. However, efforts to recycle these end-of-life batteries are still in the pilot phase, although there is increasing pressure from theEuropean Union to do so.

Vanderbruggen’s method for recovering graphite

Anna Vanderbruggen works at the prestigious German research institute Helmholt in Freiberg. The researcher has developed a method to separate graphite from the metals contained in the “black mass”. This black powder, composed of cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese, comes from the recycling of batteries. The researcher explains that the method involves placing the “black mass” in water and injecting reagents and air bubbles into it. The graphite then attaches to the bubbles, while the metals remain in the water. This method is a significant advance in battery recycling, as graphite is a material that has been difficult to recover until now.

The market in construction for the recycling of electric car batteries

With the growing demand for electric cars, the recycling of end-of-life batteries is becoming an increasingly important issue. Batteries contain rare and expensive materials, which could be recovered and reused for new batteries. Graphite is one of these key components, accounting for up to a quarter of the weight of batteries. Despite this, little attention had been paid to the recovery of graphite until Anna Vanderbruggen developed a method to recover this material in a cost-effective manner.

Tensions over the supply and cost of raw materials have sharpened the interest of manufacturers in battery recycling. The price of lithium, for example, has increased 13-fold over the past five years. Experts believe that manufacturers are now able to recycle almost all the materials that make up batteries. Aurubis, Eramet, Umicore and Mercedes are all working on recycling projects in the pilot phase. However, most of the current projects are still in the testing phase.

European pressure for the recycling of electric car batteries

The European Union has taken steps to encourage manufacturers to recycle batteries. An agreement reached in December 2022 stipulates that electric vehicle batteries must incorporate 16% recycled cobalt and 6% recycled lithium and nickel from 2031. In addition, manufacturers will have to recycle at least 70% of the weight of the batteries before this date. Anna Vanderbruggen points out that if manufacturers recover new components such as graphite, they will be able to meet these requirements.

Challenges to battery recycling

The market for electric car batteries is growing, but there are not enough volumes of end-of-life batteries at the moment. According to Serge Pelissier, director of research at the Gustave Eiffel University in Lyon, the batteries can last at least 7 to 8 years. In addition, the different models of automotive batteries make it difficult to set up a standardized recycling system. According to Alex Keynes of the NGO Transport & Environment, it will be the early 2030s before the market is mature enough to allow for effective battery recycling in Europe.

Northvolt-Hydro, a Swedish and Norwegian joint venture, is positioning itself as a pioneer in this niche, aiming to recover the equivalent of 500,000 batteries by 2030. The European Union supports this endeavor by putting pressure on the market players. In fact, it reached an agreement in December 2022 according to which electric vehicle batteries will have to incorporate 16% recycled cobalt and 6% recycled lithium and nickel from 2031. Manufacturers will also have to recycle at least 70% of the weight of batteries before 2031.

Important environmental and economic issues

Recycling batteries is a major environmental issue, as it avoids the pollution caused by landfilling or incinerating used batteries. It is also an economic issue, as the market for used batteries is growing rapidly and represents an opportunity for companies to recover valuable materials such as cobalt, lithium, nickel and graphite. The stakes are therefore twofold: it is a question of both preserving the environment and developing a circular economy around electric batteries.

Daiei Sangyo partners with Truewin Technology and Formosa Japan to develop 100 energy storage sites totalling 800MWh and expand into power-linked data centre operations.
Japanese company AI.net has signed a supply deal with China’s CATL for 1GWh of lithium-ion batteries, marking its entry into large-scale energy storage with a target of 500MW by March 2028.
Canadian group Energy Plug Technologies continues its expansion in the US market with the delivery of a new energy storage system to an industrial client based in the southern region.
Despite the emergence of new storage technologies, lithium-ion batteries retain a dominant position thanks to industrial leadership, improved performance and a high geographic concentration of production capacity.
Envision Energy launches the Gen 8 platform, a modular storage range from 6 to 12 MWh, aiming to optimise energy density, logistical flexibility, and profitability for large-scale projects.
BAK Battery presented in Chongqing its semi-solid batteries ready for industrialisation, with cells reaching up to 390Wh/kg, confirming its strategy focused on scenario-specific adaptation and mass production.
Daiwa Energy & Infrastructure has launched a 38MW grid-scale battery system in Chitose, aiming for commissioning in 2027, as part of its deployment of high-voltage storage assets across Japan.
Menlo Digital has started construction on its MD-DC1 data centre in Herndon, marking a key step in its national development programme exceeding 1.8 GW.
Finnish energy company Vantaan Energia has selected Elisa Industriq’s Gridle service to operate its new energy storage system in Rekola, supporting national grid flexibility.
US-based Eos Energy will supply up to 750 MWh of zinc-based storage systems to MN8 Energy, targeting high-demand projects such as data centres and industrial facilities.
Eos Energy and Talen Energy partner to develop multiple energy storage projects in Pennsylvania to meet rising electricity demand driven by AI and cloud computing growth.
NEO Battery Materials will supply high energy density batteries to a South Korean industrial robotics company under a $2.5M CAD order and joint development agreement over two years.
US-based battery storage developer Bimergen Energy has appointed Cole Johnson and Robert Brilon as co-CEOs to execute a large-scale industrial plan backed by $250 mn in recent funding.
Trina Storage has introduced its new Elementa 3 energy storage system, engineered for the Gulf’s extreme conditions and aimed at boosting energy density while lowering operating costs.
Japanese company Sun Village has connected its first energy storage facility to the grid and formalised a strategic partnership with Marubeni Power Retail to operate the asset on electricity markets.
Lightshift Energy has secured $75mn in funding from KeyBanc to support six operational projects and launch ten more, in response to rising demand for electric storage on the US East Coast.
Austrian battery optimisation specialist enspired enters Japan in partnership with Banpu NEXT, backed by a Series B extension to over €40mn.
Ameresco has completed a 50 MW battery storage system to support Nucor’s expansion in Arizona, marking one of the largest behind-the-meter industrial projects in the United States.
Rondo Energy has launched commercial operations of the world’s largest industrial heat battery, delivering 24-hour steam from off-grid solar power.
SUNOTEC expands in the Bulgarian market with seven projects combining battery and solar, totalling 763 MWh of storage and 115 MWp of photovoltaic capacity.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25£/month*

*billed annually at 99£/year for the first year then 149,00£/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2£/month*
then 14.90£ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.