Global natural resources Glencore, a major producer, recycler, and marketer of key battery metals, has announced an intention to partner, jointly with FCC Ámbito and Iberdrola, on establishing a lithium-ion battery recycling facility for Spain and Portugal. Its would provide second life repurposing as well as true end of life recycling solutions.
FCC Ámbito is a subsidiary of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente, the Iberian leader in comprehensive management of industrial and commercial waste. Iberdrola is a global renewable energy leader, and through its PERSEO Venture Builder programme aims to facilitate access to the technologies of the future with a focus on sustainability.
The partners plan to combine their respective experience and expertise to offer comprehensive recycling and second life solutions for lithium-ion batteries, both from gigafactory production scrap and end-of-life batteries.
In collaboration with the Iberian Energy Storage Research Centre (CIIAE, Centro Ibérico de Investigación en Almacena-miento Energético), the three partners have assessed exist-ing battery recycling capabilities, and feed availability in the region. The three partners said they continue to work to-wards identifying the location for the recycling facility, which will be supported by sector leading technology.
The facility will be operated by FCC Ámbito and will focus on the pre-processing of lithium-ion batteries and battery scrap, separating such feed into distinct streams for further downstream refining and recovery of battery metals.
With the increasing sales of electric vehicles comes the requirement for recycling their batteries once they have reached their true end of life. Glencore and its partners estimate that the annual recycling of battery materials is expected to reach around 35,000t in Spain by 2035 including production scrap.
The three-way partnership is part of Iberola’s PERSEO Venture Builder programme to promote the development of innovative industrial companies working in new areas of electrification and in sectors that are challenging to decarbonise.
