UK-based clean technology group Altilium is collaborating with vehicle salvage and recycling specialist Synetiq to recycle the growing number of EV batteries from damaged cars.

Synetiq processes thousands of cars each year, and currently has an inventory of damaged EVs at its UK facilities. The company has invested heavily in equipment to remove the batteries from these cars and store them safely. LV= Insurance works closely with Synetiq to recover and recycle EV batteries from damaged vehicles insured by LV=. These batteries will be processed at Altilium’s technology center in Devon to recover raw materials, including lithium and nickel, for direct reuse in the production of new batteries.

Altilium uses hydrometallurgical recycling processes, and says it can recover over 95% of the battery metals. According to the company, this process delivers a 50% reduction in carbon emissions and 20% lower costs compared to the use of virgin materials in battery production.

According to Synetiq, over 100 million EV batteries are expected to reach end of life globally over the next decade. The UK is the second-largest market for EVs in the European region, but currently exports battery waste to Europe and Asia for processing. By creating a domestic capacity for battery recycling, Altilium aims to offer an environmentally friendly solution for battery disposal while ensuring that the valuable resources remain in the UK supply chain.

Altilium’s planned circular battery recycling ecosystem will include a large battery recycling and refining plant in Teesside, with the capacity to recycle waste batteries from 150,000 EVs a year, producing 30,000 MT of cathode active materials, enough to meet 20% of the expected UK demand by 2030. Altilium also plans to establish a number of regional battery recycling stations across the UK, some of which could be located within Synetiq’s facilities at Doncaster and Winsford.

Rod Savage, Program Director, End-of-Life Batteries at Altilium, said: “Our collaboration with Synetiq marks a pivotal moment in achieving a circular economy for EV batteries in the UK and reducing our reliance on imported battery materials.”

Martin Milliner, General Insurance Claims Director, LV= Insurance, said: “Given the high embodied carbon impact of EV batteries, we have a responsibility to ensure that the batteries we provide Synetiq from our motor claims are responsibly disposed of.”

Source: Synetiq