Black mass production is the first step in the battery recycling process and is based on mechanical treatment of the batteries. The produced black mass contains high amounts of the key metals used to produce battery-ready cathode active materials (CAM): lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese.

The planned commercial scale battery recycling black mass plant will provide feedstock to Altilium’s battery recycling and CAM production hub in Teesside, ACT 4. The site is an ideal location for the build-up of battery recycling activities given the presence of UK EV car manufacturers and cell producers, access to low-cost green energy and superior logistics for delivery of battery materials to UK and Europe.

Altilium will close the loop from end-of-life batteries to CAM for new batteries, enabling a UK battery circular economy, reducing our dependency on mining and lowering carbon. Our full battery circularity model will be a unique customer offering in the UK, encompassing zero carbon EV battery collection, black mass recycling and chemical refining to produce 30,000 MT of battery-ready CAM, 20% of the UK requirement by 2030 making it one of the largest projects in the region.

Altilium has been awarded funds under the UK Government Innovate Launchpad: Net Zero, CR&D Tees Valley, R2 focussed to grow activities in the net zero innovation cluster centred on Tees Valley. The plant will be designed by a leading engineering consultancy.