Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is collaborating with Devon-based Altilium on a revolutionary electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling project.
- Altilium’s facility in Tavistock will reclaim materials like lithium and nickel from used EV batteries.
- The recycled materials will be utilised to create new batteries at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).
- JLR will rigorously validate the recycled batteries to ensure they meet automotive standards.
- Altilium has secured significant government funding to support its innovative sustainable operations.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), a prominent luxury vehicle manufacturer, is embarking on a pioneering partnership with Devon-based Altilium to recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This collaboration aims to significantly advance clean energy initiatives by utilising Altilium’s Tavistock pilot plant to recover crucial materials such as lithium and nickel from spent EV batteries.
The reclaimed materials are intended for the production of new battery cells at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), a pivotal national facility focused on scaling up battery manufacturing within the United Kingdom. This process aligns with broader efforts to foster a sustainable and circular battery economy, reducing dependency on newly mined materials and enhancing the environmental sustainability of battery production.
In an effort to validate the efficacy and reliability of these recycled battery cells, JLR will undertake comprehensive validation studies. This step is crucial to ascertain that the recycled materials can consistently meet the rigorous standards demanded by the automotive sector, further ensuring the viability of this sustainable approach to battery production.
Dr Christian Marston, the Chief Operating Officer of Altilium, emphasised the strategic importance of the project, stating: “We are proud to lead this pioneering project with JLR that brings us one step closer to a circular economy for battery materials in the UK. By demonstrating that EV battery cells made from recovered materials can meet the rigorous standards of the automotive industry, we’re not only reducing the environmental impact of battery production but also supporting the UK’s efforts to build a more sustainable and resilient EV supply chain.”
Altilium’s initiative has garnered substantial financial backing, including grant funding of £639,797 from Innovate UK’s Faraday Battery Challenge. This funding underscores the government’s commitment to propelling research and innovation in the battery sector, a crucial element in driving forward the UK’s clean energy objectives.
Additionally, Altilium’s ongoing projects with major automotive manufacturers extend beyond JLR. The company is also working with Nissan on a related initiative to establish a £30 million EV battery recycling plant in Teeside. This broader collaboration is part of a multimillion-pound initiative supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which has allocated £15 million in grant funding to bolster these efforts.
The collaboration between Jaguar Land Rover and Altilium represents a significant step towards creating a sustainable and resilient electric vehicle supply chain in the UK.
