New Deal to Recycle EV Batteries and Reduce Emissions

Stellantis and Orano have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a joint venture for recycling electric vehicle (EV) batteries and scrap materials from their gigafactories in Europe and North America. The deal aims to support the circular economy and the energy transition by recovering and reusing valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium.

The joint venture will use Orano’s innovative technology, which can recover all the materials from lithium-ion batteries and make new cathode materials for new batteries. The technology has a high recovery rate of more than 90% and produces a raw material called black mass, which can be refined by Orano’s hydrometallurgy plant in France.

The partnership will help the companies meet the EU 2031 battery directive, which requires the use of recycled materials in new batteries. It will also help Stellantis achieve its goal of becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2038 and generating more than $2.1 billion in circular economy revenue by 2030, according to its Dare Forward 2030 plan.

“We are delighted with this partnership with a major player such as Stellantis to work together in the recycling of used electric batteries,” said Guillaume Dureau, Orano’s group director of innovation, research and development, and nuclear medicine, magnets, and batteries. “We are proud to bring our expertise and know-how with our innovative and disruptive process which allows a real closed loop.”

The joint venture will also contribute to the growth of the EV market, which is expected to increase tenfold by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency. By recycling batteries, the companies can reduce the demand for critical minerals and lower the costs of EV production. Recycling batteries also prevents environmental damage from landfilling or incinerating them.

The joint venture is expected to start production in early 2026. Stellantis and Orano will use existing assets and facilities for the project and invest in reskilling their employees for the new development.

Date: Oct 26, 2023

Source: https://www.environmentenergyleader.com/2023/10/stellantis-orano-partner-for-ev-battery-recycling/