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UCD tech to boost EV battery recycling

UCD tech to boost EV battery recycling UCD tech to boost EV battery recycling
UCD spin-out Licovolt partners with Pure Battery Technologies to boost sustainable EV battery production.

University College Dublin (UCD) spin-out Licovolt has teamed up with Australian company Pure Battery Technologies (PBT) to make battery production more sustainable for the EV industry.

Licovolt was co-founded by Associate Professor Tony Keene from the UCD School of Chemistry and Associate Professor Steven Ferguson from the UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, with support from NovaUCD - the university’s incubation facility for knowledge-intensive companies.

Licovolt has developed a new way to recycle spent lithium-cobalt batteries at a lower cost and with reduced carbon emissions compared to current methods. Licovolt’s technology makes producing key battery materials like lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) easier and also enables the infinite recycling of these minerals.

PBT operates a refinery in Hagen, Germany where it refines raw materials, including mixed hydrogen precipitate (MHP) and recycled battery black mass, into precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM), a key component in lithium-ion batteries. PBT currently produces around 2,000 tonnes of nickel products yearly, but plans are underway to expand this to 12,000 tonnes.

The collaboration will see Licovolt integrate its recycling technologies into PBT’s existing production system creating a more reliable and sustainable supply of battery materials and advancing the development of clean energy solutions to support the shift to electric transportation.

Speaking about the partnership, Bjorn Zikarsky, CEO of PBT, said: “Licovolt’s technology presents an exciting potential addition to PBT’s flowsheet and PBT’s existing and expanded facilities. PBT and Licovolt have a great team of people and importantly have the ability to rapidly scale Licovolt’s technology given our operating facility in Hagen.”

Clint Zahmel, Executive Director at Licovolt, said: “The Licovolt team are excited to be working with PBT, leveraging their operating facility and hard-earned raw material supply and off-take relationships. Licovolt’s agreement with PBT has the potential to springboard Licovolt’s technology as well as provide a valuable addition to PBT’s facilities. We look forward to working with the team at PBT.”

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Published on January 29, 2025
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