A new project has been announced by a UK based clean technology group that aims to accelerate the UK’s transition to sustainable electric vehicles (EVs) by focusing on battery production decarbonisation.
Working alongside car manufacture Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Altilium said they are to leverage the company’s advanced E
coCathode™ process to deliver a significant carbon reduction in EVs.
According to Altilium, battery cells produced with recovered cathode active materials (CAM) will be validated for use in vehicles with a leading automotive OEM.
Battery cell production is expected to take place at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the UK's national battery manufacturing scale-up facility.
Recovered battery materials produced by Altilium at its new mini-commercial ACT2 facility, as well as its ACT1 pilot, both in Devon will be used by the UKBIC for battery cell production.
Dr Christian Marston, Altilium COO, said: "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.
“This project is a vital milestone in our mission to decarbonise the battery value chain and support automotive OEMs in achieving their regulatory and sustainability goals."
The project has been made possible through the support of the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, under the latest round of its Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) competition.
JLR’s role will be to conduct comprehensive validation studies on the pouch cells at its battery testing facilities.
Altilium's project follows the company’s previously announced partnership with UKBIC, supported by Innovate UK's Faraday Battery Challenge, to begin rapid prototyping of EV battery cells using recycled cathode active materials (CAM).
The UK based clean technology group said both projects will be crucial in de-risking the scale-up of Altilium's battery recycling operations and helping to strengthen the UK's position in the global EV supply chain.
Sean Gilgunn, Managing Director of UKBIC, added: "We're delighted to be part of this innovative project which will help the industry move towards an even cleaner future.
“Our role in the battery ecosystem is to help companies prove their new materials and technologies can be industrialised, and working with Altilium will help them prove their recycled CAM can be an effective option in future EV batteries."
According to new research by the Faraday Institution, demand for UK EV battery manufacturing capacity will reach nearly 110 GWh per annum in 2030.
To meet requirements the UK will need to secure substantial amounts of raw materials, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, needed to manufacture EV batteries.
The report signifies a sustainable domestic supply chain is needed for these materials as they are critical for the electrification of transport in the UK.