The leading Li-ion battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.(“Li-Cycle”) has teamed with Swiss mining and commodities trading giant Glencore International Ag(a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glencore Plt.) to develop Europe’s largest Li-ion battery recycling center.
The new center, located at the Portovesme hub in Italy, is expected to have a processing capacity of 50,000 to 70,000 tons of black matter per year, equivalent to up to 36GWh of Li-ion batteries.
Tim Johnston, co-founder and executive chairperson of Li-Cycle, stated that the planned Portovesme hub is a milestone project for European battery recycling industry and is expected to be the largest sourse of recycled battery-grade lithium on the continent.
They are pleased to expand their global strategic partnership with Glencore and leverage the experience they have gained from Rochester facility to support the rapid development of the lithiu-ion battery ecosystem in an environmentally friendly manner.
As a part of collabration, Glencore and Li-Cycle conduct feasibility studies and develop a facility that will produce key battery materials such as Nickel, cobalt, and lithium from recycled batteries. The Definitive Feasibility study(DFS) is expected to begin within 60 days after the announcement and is projected to be completed by mid-2024.
Kunal Sinha, Global Head of Recycling at Glencore, expressed that establishing a center by repurposing their Portovesme facility, which could become Glencore's first asset for producing battery-grade lithium, would enable them to achieve a closed-loop supply chain in all aspects for their European OEM and gigafactory customers. This will reduce delivery times, minimize emissions by reducing the distance of shipping routes, and support Italy and Europe's ambition to become global leaders in the circular economy.
The Portovesme site is reported to have existing infrastructure, including access to the port, necessary facilities, skilled labor, and processing equipment required for hydrometallurgical operations. Previously, the complex consisted of a lead-zinc smelter and hydrometallurgical facilities. The black materials processed at the Portovesme Hub will be supplied by Li-Cycle's growing Spoke network in Europe and Glencore's commercial network.
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Li-Cycle stated that the Portovesme Hub is expected to be the first facility of its kind in Europe. With the advantages of Li-Cycle's Spoke network and Glencore's battery recycling platform, both parties believe that the upcoming facility will bring Europe closer to achieving a manufacturing loop for end-of-life batteries using hydrometallurgical processes within Europe.
The Portovesme Hub is expected to be operational by late 2026 to early 2027, depending on the final investment decisions of both companies. As the number of lithium-ion batteries used globally continues to increase, most countries will have to establish battery recycling supply chains and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure future environmental sustainability.