A consortium of UK organizations has been awarded government funding to develop domestic lithium-ion battery recycling technology. The initiative aims to reduce the nation’s reliance on imported batteries and create a more resilient supply chain that is less vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions.
To date, the UK’s battery recycling sector remains at an early stage, with pioneering work carried out by companies such as Recyclus, which became the first UK firm to recycle lithium-ion cells. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to establish a circular battery economy, whereby spent cells are processed into so-called black mass—an intermediate powder of critical minerals—that can be refined and reused in new battery production.
In support of this goal, the government launched the Battery Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK and backed by the Department for Business and Trade. Through this programme, ReCam—a consortium comprising Recyclus, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), Watercycle Technologies and Polaron—has secured funding to scale up recycling capabilities and refine processes for black mass recovery.
The four partners will collaborate to address the growing volume of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries generated by the expanding electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Their work will focus on optimizing mechanical and chemical separation steps, improving material purity and evaluating downstream refining techniques suited to UK-based facilities. By advancing these technologies, the consortium intends to support domestic manufacturing, reduce transport-related emissions from waste exports and enhance the resilience of the national battery ecosystem.
“By establishing a viable UK-based route for refining battery waste into reusable materials, we can unlock significant economic value, reduce emissions associated with exports and enhance the resilience of the UK battery ecosystem,” said Dr. Ahmed Abdelkarim, co-founder of Watercycle Technologies. Robin Brundle, executive chairman of Recyclus, added, “We are delighted with this award and to be working with such gifted partners. This is a British-centric programme built around UK resilience and that is something we at Recyclus are extremely proud of.”
Source: UK Tech News
