According to a report by Cellcycle, a UK-based lithium-ion battery recycler, there is a huge opportunity for lithium-ion battery recycling in the UK. By 2040, the UK will require 140GWh worth of cell production capability, representing 567,000 tonnes of cell production, requiring 131,000 tonnes of cathodic metals. Recycling can supply 22% of this demand (assuming a 60% recycling rate and 40% reuse or remanufacture).
Currently, there are no substantial recycling facilities for lithium-ion battery packs in the UK. Most lithium-ion EV batteries are currently dismantled into modules and then shipped to mainland Europe for material recovery - at considerable expense to the vehicle manufacturer. However, Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, has announced its first electric vehicle battery recycling facility in the UK, which will have the capacity to process 20% of the UK’s end-of-life electric vehicle batteries by 2024.