Li-Cycle Holdings has selected Veolia Water Technologies as a partner for its lithium-ion battery recycling in Rochester, New York. The facility will help give life back to the equivalent of approximately 225,000 electric vehicle batteries per year by utilising Veolia’s HPD crystallisation technology to process recycled lithium-ion battery materials.
As the global demand for cleaner, battery-based energy storage systems and electric vehicles is on the rise, so too is the need for sustainable solutions to recover the valuable materials inside them.
Ajay Kochhar, CEO of Li-Cycle, commented: “At Li-Cycle, we are committed to doing our part to create a safer, cleaner and healthier world by striving to create a truly closed-loop lithium-ion battery supply chain to address these global challenges.”
Veolia’s HPD crystallisation technology is key in the final stage of the battery recycling process as it allows to optimise the creation of nickel sulfate and cobalt sulfate from lithium-ion batteries and transform them into high-purity raw materials, ready to be used in new batteries.
Li-Cycle will utilise Veolia’s HPD crystallisers to produce approximately 42,000-48,000MT per year of nickel sulfate and 6,500-7,500MT per year of cobalt sulfate that can then be resold to battery manufacturers—ultimately giving the original battery materials a new life. When fully operational in 2023, the Rochester facility will help create a sustainable, circular economy for lithium-ion batteries.
Vincent Caillaud, CEO of Veolia Water Technologies, concluded: “Veolia is looking forward to partnering with Li-Cycle to help recover critical materials from lithium-ion batteries, so they can be reintroduced back into the supply chain. At Veolia, we apply our know-how in developing and adopting leading-edge technologies that contribute to the recovery of critical metals and components from end-of-life products.”
