On the second (final) day of ICBR, held in Basel, Switzerland, featured numerous presentations were held in both the morning and afternoon sessions. The key discussions among stakeholders involved in battery recycling focused on efforts to comply with the battery regulations that were enacted last year and are being phased in.

One of the main focuses was the current state of recycling technologies and the initiatives undertaken by various recycling companies. Particularly, addressing targets for recycling rates, material recovery, and minimum recycled content involves time-consuming preparations. Additionally, the Critical Raw Materials Act, an unprecedentedly fast EU-adopted regulation, mandates further increase in the production of recycled materials within the EU. Recyclers are not only required to produce recycled materials but also to produce high-quality, battery-grade recycled materials. For this, enhancing the production of black mass and the subsequent refining technologies is essential.

German recycler Accurec emphasized that while investment in the battery recycling sector has so far primarily focused on the pre-processing phase. However, due to the regulatory environment, increasing investment in the refining process is becoming more important. Accurec is developing a strategy that covers the entire recycling value chain and is promoting the production of battery-grade recycled materials through high-quality, efficient recycling technologies. Under EU regulations, recyclers must also reduce CO₂ emissions and energy consumption during the recycling process. Accurec is working simultaneously on implementing these aspects.

Recycling company Hydrovolt discussed the challenges of battery recycling and the lessons learned to date.

Among them, the company highlighted the difficulty in keeping up with rapidly changing customer demands driven by regulations, from the time they started as a startup to the present. For instance, a few years ago, the term “black mass” was rarely heard, while attention to black mass has increased sharply over the past few years. As a result, customer orders have shifted towards the production of black mass, high-quality material recovery, and higher recovery rates, and companies must respond accordingly. The lack of harmonization in battery structures and parts was also pointed out as a significant barrier to the automation of the recycling process.

From Japan, Mr. Miyamoto of Toray gave a presentation on the recovery of lithium from used lithium-ion batteries using the company’s developed nanofiltration membrane (NF membrane), drawing attention from recyclers seeking to improve refining technologies. This technology significantly increases lithium recovery rates (up to 80%) by filtering black mass using NF membranes, and full commercialization is expected by 2027.

In the afternoon session, the focus shifted to battery remanufacturing and repurposing, both of which are necessary areas to address under the battery regulations. Automation technologies for battery dismantling and direct recycling technologies were also introduced.

This year’s ICBR seemed to offer a relatively balanced overview of the EU regulations that influence the direction of the European battery-related industries and the technological developments within the related industries to meet the regulatory requirements. Currently, reports of reduced production following the stagnation of EV sales in Europe have raised concerns about the growth of the battery market.

This is attributed to factors such as the temporary end of EV purchase incentives in various EU countries and the high price of EVs.

However, the impression from the conference was that the European battery recycling industry continues to move forward, driven by EU regulations, in anticipation of a sharp increase in used EV batteries after 2030.

Some suggest that the reality has not caught up with the growth forecasts for EVs and EV batteries, and while growth may have temporarily slowed, the transition to EVs will continue. EVs are already available in the market, and future progress will largely depend on consumer purchasing intent. For this reason, raising consumer interest and establishing a solid infrastructure for EV charging stations are essential, while lowering prices remains a key challenge for OEMs.

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SCHANZ, Yukari from Basel, Switzerland( translated by kasumizhang）

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