Li-Cycle completes first commercial shipment of recycled battery material
by CMO Staff
Mississauga company's unique process removes metals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium for reuse.
TORONTO — As electric vehicles become more prevalent globally, what happens to the spent lithium-ion batteries? Technology developed by a Mississauga, Ont. company offers a solution.
Li-Cycle Corp. has completed its first shipment of commercially recycled battery material containing energy metals concentrate.
The shipped product was processed at Li-Cycle’s facility in Mississauga. The recycler of lithium-ion batteries said the shipment contained cobalt, nickel and lithium.
The company, founded in 2016, claims its technology recovers 80% to 100% of all materials found in lithium-ion batteries using a two-step mechanical and hydrometallurgical/wet chemistry process. The process recycles all variants of cathode and anode chemistries within the lithium-ion spectrum, without sorting into specific chemistries. And it does so without risk of fire during processing. No solid waste streams result, there is minimal/no water discharge, and no harmful air emissions.
“The first shipment of commercial product marks a significant milestone for Li-Cycle, on the company’s path to becoming a premier resource recovery processor, handling all types of lithium-ion batteries from a broad set of customers and applications,” said Ajay Kochhar, president and CEO of Li-Cycle.
Li-Cyle contends by returning commercial quantities of recycled battery materials to the supply chain, the use of battery materials mined and refined from primary sources is offset, thus lessening the impact on the environment and mining resources.
The company intends to handle demand through its Mississauga plant and a US location that will be in operation this year.
