Altilium Metals has opened a Technology Centre in Devon, UK to strengthen its competitive edge in recycling of electric vehicle batteries. The Technology Centre will allow its subsidiary Altilitech to scale recycling innovations faster and speed up its time-to-market. The team will be working closely together with the MEDET hydrometallurgical plant in Bulgaria, which is currently being retrofit to recycling battery waste from 16,000 electric vehicles in Q2 2023.

For many decades and until recently, lithium-ion batteries were regarded as hazardous waste, but they can actually serve as valuable sources of raw materials. The Altilitech Technology Centre will further develop its recycling concept for batteries. The aim is to return valuable raw materials to the manufacturing process chain direct as cathode ready material in the most environmentally friendly way to save costs and preserve raw materials.

Devon has been strategically selected as the location because it has emerged as a diverse ecosystem for technology and entrepreneurship as well as the support received from Devon County Council under its Green Innovation Fund, which supports innovative projects and technologies which will drive green growth in its economy.