Nissan have partnered with a UK-based clean technology group Altilium to improve the use of advanced recycling technologies and lower the carbon footprint of new batteries and reduce reliance on imported raw materials.
The program will strengthen the technical expertise and R&D capability of the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) focusing on the development and advancement of EV battery reuse, recycling and energy balancing technology.
Dr Christian Marston, co-founder and COO of Altlium, said the partnership marks a “significant milestone in our mission to create a sustainable ecosystem for EV batteries”.
The two companies intend to work together to maximise the potential for raw material recycling and develop a “closed-loop” model for battery materials, thus reducing the need for mining and saving natural resources.
This will include processing waste from spent Nissan leaf batteries and production scrap and then upcycling these materials to produce high nickel chemistry cathode active materials (CAM) for testing in the next generation of EV batteries.
The joint endeavour aims to establish a circular approach to managing EV batteries, ensuring minimal environmental impact and maximising resource efficiency.
Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode hydrometallurgical process claims to recover over 95% of the cathode metals, including lithium, from end-of-life EV batteries.
The innovative work is part of a £30m collaborative project announced today by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which has been awarded grant funding of £15m.
