Altilium’s 10,000-square-foot pilot facility (ACT 2) in Plymouth, Devon is scheduled to start ramping up early 2024 and is the first of a kind in the UK. We will be able to process around one EV battery “black mass” scrap per day, producing MT volumes of Cathode Active Material (CAM) for qualification with automotive OEM’s and cell manufacturers.

Our proprietary hydrometallurgical technology can recover over 95% of the cathode metals, including lithium from old EV batteries. These recovered materials aren’t just recycled; they’re reengineered and upcycled to high nickel CAM, ensuring their seamless integration into new batteries. By upcycling, we could reduce the carbon footprint in CAM by 50% compared to virgin materials and cost by 20%.

CAM is the most important component of an EV battery and determines its performance, accounts for over 50% of the cost, as well as its carbon footprint. A sustainable and domestic supply chain of CAM is important for energy security, industrial resilience and to attract EV battery manufacturing to the UK.

This Pilot will provide unparalleled learning experiences that will fuel the expansion of our commercial plant in Eastern Europe (ACT 3), recycling battery waste from 24,000 EVs and Teesside (ACT 4), which will produce 30,000 MT of CAM, 20% of the UK’s requirement by 2030, making it one of the largest projects in the region.

At our new pilot plant we’re forging a path towards a circular economy for the UK EV battery supply chain, where existing waste streams are turned into valuable commodities, reducing the need for new mining and saving our natural resources.