UK-based battery recycling company Altilium has partnered with LevertonHELM, a subsidiary of German chemical firm HELM AG, to advance a sustainable domestic supply chain for lithium in the UK. The collaboration aims to address the country’s reliance on imported lithium, a critical component for electric vehicle batteries.
The partnership will combine Altilium’s expertise in recovering battery materials from waste with LevertonHELM’s lithium production capabilities. Initially, LevertonHELM will process technical-grade lithium carbonate derived from spent batteries and production waste at Altilium’s ACT1 recycling plant in Devon. Should the qualification process prove successful, the companies expect to enter into agreements for long-term supply and refining of recycled lithium within the UK.
The UK currently sources 60-70% of its lithium for EV batteries from China, highlighting the importance of developing local supply chains. Altilium’s ACT2 recycling facility in Plymouth has the capacity to recover lithium and other battery metals from 300 kilograms of black mass waste daily. The facility utilizes the company’s proprietary EcoCathode process, which will be scaled up at its planned ACT4 plant in Teesside. This upcoming facility will produce active cathode materials (CAM) for automotive qualification and contribute significant volumes of recycled lithium to the UK supply chain.
“Partnering with Altilium is a promising step forward in developing the HELM lithium portfolio,” said Merve Cruz, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Sourcing at HELM Energy Materials. “This collaboration underscores the importance of recycling resources to support a sustainable supply chain for lithium, especially in Europe and the UK.”
LevertonHELM has also demonstrated its capabilities in direct lithium extraction (DLE). In a project with EnBW at a geothermal plant in Bruchsal, Germany, the company extracted lithium chloride from thermal water and converted it into high-purity lithium carbonate at its facilities in Basingstoke, UK. The expertise gained will support the partnership’s objectives of developing a robust, sustainable lithium supply chain.
