Revolution in lithium recycling: Europe becomes a pioneer of green technology!

Revolution in lithium recycling: Europe becomes a pioneer of green technology!

The European battery revolution is in the starting blocks! Lithium-ion batteries are indispensable for electromobility and the use of renewable energies, and they should play a key role in the EU efforts to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. However, despite their enormous importance, inefficient recycling processes disturb the recovery of valuable raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, which endangers both the environment and the economic independence of Europe. In order to meet these challenges, the innovative project Beyondbattrec is launched, which is funded with a budget of 7.45 million euros under the direction of Aalborg University. 12 partners from seven countries are involved in this future -oriented project, including Varta MicroCtatter and Siemens, to develop new recycling technologies that are intended to recover up to 95 % of critical metals, as the APA OTS reported.

In addition to Beyondbattrec, the Earli research project aims to regain lithium from used lithium-ion batteries. Accurec-recycling GmbH leads this consortium, while the project is also supported by partners such as Evonik and the eco-institute. A complex procedure is used here, in which the lithium is initially extracted from the so -called black mass. This black mass is a mixture of residues and active materials of the batteries, and the goal is to gain high -purity lithium hydroxide. This procedure could revolutionize the recovery of lithium by minimizing both the costs and the energy expenditure. With the EU specification of making the recovery of lithium a compulsory from 2026, the Earli project is also relevant to relevance, as reported in EU-Recycling

Both projects are not only technological progress, but also promote a greener economy and a circular value chain that is supposed to boost industrial growth in Europe. By optimizing the recovery procedures, the aim is to strengthen industrial resilience and the EU resource independence. These changes could revolutionize the entire battery industry and thus represent a decisive step towards a more sustainable future.