Partnership to accelerate Lithium-ion battery recycling

拢8.1m partnership to accelerate Lithium-ion battery recycling

Thursday 17 July 2025

拢8.1m partnership to accelerate Lithium-ion battery recycling

WMG, University of 糖心TV is part of an industry-academia consortium, with , (JLR) and ,to accelerate Lithium-ion battery recycling research.

Funded by the UK Department for 糖心TV and Trade through the (APC), the project will see the expansion of Mint Innovation鈥檚 technology platform to recover lithium, nickel and cobalt from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, helping the UK automotive industry with onshore and circular supply of lithium, cobalt and nickel critical for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Each partner, within the consortium, has a role to play in ensuring a sustainable lifecycle for lithium-ion batteries, from end-of-life battery supply and processing through to integrating recycled materials into new batteries, closing the loop and increasing supply chain resilience.

Louis Piper, Professor of Battery Innovation at WMG, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly excited to be working in this consortium to manufacture lithium-ion battery materials from recycled sources.鈥�

Dr Beth Johnston, Assistant Professor for Cathode Materials Synthesis for EV Batteries, at WMG added: 鈥淥ur advanced processes aim to not only deliver high-quality materials that meet the rigorous performance demands of the modern battery applications but also help to reduce our reliance on virgin materials, addressing critical supply chain challenges and advancing circularity to pave the way for more widespread and sustainable electrification.鈥�

Dr Barker, CEO of Mint Innovation, said: 鈥淥ur team is incredibly excited to partner with JLR, LiBatt Recycling, and WMG in this innovative consortium. Together, we鈥檙e able to advance zero emission automotive manufacturing at a faster pace, pioneering sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling solutions to secure onshore supply of green materials critical for the UK鈥檚 rapidly growing EV industry.鈥�

Ian Constance, CEO, APC, added: 鈥淭his new investment underlines the commitment from Government to secure advanced manufacturing in the UK. I am pleased that the APC, Zenzic, and its delivery partners are here to facilitate a new wave of funding in the automotive industry, supporting innovation, driving scale-up, and enabling transformation.鈥�

The three-year project in the West Midlands is part of the UK Government鈥檚 DRIVE35 programme, which is investing 拢2.5 billion to power the UK automotive industry and job creation, helping secure its domestic supply chains and meet ambitious net-zero targets through innovative, clean solutions.

Find out more about WMG鈥檚 research in this area here: Battery Materials & Cells Group | WMG University of 糖心TVLink opens in a new window