Meeting the Challenge of Lithium Battery Recycling

Date Published: 30th March 2022

The responsible disposal and recycling of electrical items such as batteries is a key challenge for the waste industry, and even more so when it comes to lithium batteries. These are increasingly used in the automotive industry to power electric cars and aircraft. But their use is not without difficulty, and both the aforementioned industries have encountered safety hazards when using them.

Like any other batteries, lithium batteries have a finite life, and can be dangerous when dismantled, so disposing of them is a particular challenge which will require dedicated facilities and expertise. There is growing interest in this area. The AcuComm waste investment database currently holds 58 projects involving the recycling of lithium batteries. These have a combined estimated value of US$1,094 million, or around US$19 million each. Currently, 19 are estimated to be operational, with the rest in various stages of planning or construction.

The largest number are in the US and Canada, with 18 projects worth a total of US$588 million. In Europe there are 23 projects worth a total of US$245 million.

Attached Projects

Click on the project titles below to see further information about each of the projects.

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1. Germany - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 05 April 2022

   Summary: Development of a LiB recycling plant.

2. France - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 28 March 2022

   Summary: Development of an EV battery recycling facility.

3. United Arab Emirates - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 28 March 2022

   Summary: Construction of a battery recycling plant.

4. Canada - Recycling Plant

   Updated: 23 March 2022

   Summary: Development of a battery recycling plant.

5. Germany - Recycling Plant

   Updated: 14 March 2022

   Summary: Development of a battery recycling facility.

6. Norway - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 09 March 2022

   Summary: Construction of a LiB recycling facility.

7. US - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 08 March 2022

   Summary: Development of a LiB recycling facility.

8. US - Recycling Facility

   Updated: 03 March 2022

   Summary: Construction of commercial clean battery recycling facility.

9. Sweden - Recycling Plant

   Updated: 11 February 2022

   Summary: Construction of a LiB recycling facility.

10. UK - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 08 February 2022

    Summary: Construction of a lead-acid battery recycling plant.

11. Australia - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 03 February 2022

    Summary: Development of a graphite recycling facility.

12. South Korea – Recycling Plant

    Updated: 27 January 2022

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling plant.

13. Canada - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 27 January 2022

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

14. Italy - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 14 January 2022

    Summary: Development of a LiB recycling facility.

15. US – Recycling Facility

    Updated: 07 January 2022

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

16. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 20 December 2021

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

17. Sweden - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 17 November 2021

    Summary: Construction of a battery recycling facility.

18. Sweden - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 17 November 2021

    Summary: Construction of a pilot battery recycling plant

19. US - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 16 November 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling plant.

20. Poland - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 01 November 2021

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

21. South Korea – Recycling Plant

    Updated: 04 October 2021

    Summary: Construction of a LiB recycling plant.

22. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 13 September 2021

    Summary: Construction of a LiB recycling facility.

23. Netherlands - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 13 July 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling facility.

24. Germany - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 06 July 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling prototype plant.

25. Australia - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 30 June 2021

    Summary: Development of a lithium recycling pilot plant.

26. Canada – Recycling Facility

    Updated: 24 June 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling facility.

27. Finland - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 17 June 2021

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

28. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 26 April 2021

    Summary: Construction of a battery recycling facility.

29. US – Recycling Facility

    Updated: 06 April 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery reuse and recycling facility.

30. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 26 March 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling facility.

31. China - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 25 March 2021

    Summary: Construction of an EV battery recycling plant.

32. France - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 22 March 2021

    Summary: Development of an EV battery recycling plant.

33. Spain – Recycling Unit

    Updated: 23 February 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling line.

34. Germany - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 03 February 2021

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling pilot plant.

35. Norway - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 03 February 2021

    Summary: Construction of a pilot battery recycling plant.

36. Finland - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 27 January 2021

    Summary: Development of an EV battery recycling and processing plant.

37. Singapore - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 12 January 2021

    Summary: Development of a new lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

38. South Korea - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 07 December 2020

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling project.

39. Unknown - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 06 November 2020

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

40. Australia - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 30 October 2020

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling plant.

41. Switzerland - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 14 September 2020

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling plant.

42. Canada - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 04 May 2020

    Summary: Development of a pilot plant to recycle lithium-ion batteries.

43. Finland - Recycling Cluster

    Updated: 06 March 2020

    Summary: Development of a battery recycling cluster.

44. Canada - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 08 January 2020

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

45. Australia - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 06 December 2019

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

46. Singapore - Recycling Centre

    Updated: 02 April 2019

    Summary: Development of a research centre for e-waste recycling technologies.

47. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 26 February 2019

    Summary: Lithium-ion battery recycling R&D centre launched.

48. Japan - Recycling Plant

    Updated: 29 October 2018

    Summary: Development of a lithium-ion battery recycling plant.

49. Japan - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 14 September 2018

    Summary: Electric car battery recycling facility.

50. Canada - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 03 January 2018

    Summary: Installation of battery sorting technology.

51. China - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 24 October 2017

    Summary: Expansion of an e-waste recycling facility.

52. US - Waste Heat Recovery System

    Updated: 06 August 2017

    Summary: Development of a waste heat recovery system.

53. US - Recycling Facility

    Updated: 14 January 2016

    Summary: Establishment of a plastics recycling facility.