Mining Digital Magazine November 2024 | Page 69

Lithium recycling key to sustainable supplies In the UK , metals and mining firm Glencore and Britishvolt – a startup manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries – have revealed plans to build a battery plant in southeast England to recycle lithium-ion batteries .
The companies ’ recycling plant will reuse expensive key raw materials , the most important of which will be cobalt and lithium .
They plan to use 100 % renewable energy to recycle the materials at was once the UK ’ s largest coal-fired power station .
David Brocas , Head Cobalt Trader at Glencore says : “ Both companies are united in their ambition to further the energy and mobility transition . Glencore has decades of recycling experience across multiple disciplines , including e-waste , copper scrap and batteries .
“ This recycling partnership complements our long-term supply agreement for responsible cobalt from our operations in Norway and the Democratic Republic of Congo .
“ We believe the opportunity to utilise BRM ’ s operations as a cutting-edge battery recycling facility will help support the development of a UK battery recycling
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