Northvolt

Recycling batteries through reducing materials

We’re in the midst of a global transition to renewable energy. According to the International Energy Agency, electric car and solar panel sales are reaching record highs. One product is leading the charge, and that’s batteries, with demand expected to rise to 2,000 gigawatt hours by 2030.

But despite this growth, challenges remain. Battery recycling rates are relatively low and the market remains very reliant on lithium-ion – a substance made from scarce materials and extracted through an environmentally-damaging process.

To resolve these concerns, Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt is striving to develop the world’s greenest batteries. Its unique recycling process involves crushing, shredding, filtering and dismantling used lithium-ion batteries. Once each battery’s materials are separated, the remaining aluminium, copper and plastic is all recycled by third party companies. What is left is a black powder known as ‘black mass’, which Northvolt then dissolves in an acid solution to recover the battery grade materials. With this approach, Northvolt has two goals – to produce batteries using 50% recycled materials by 2030, and ultimately to pioneer batteries that don’t require these critical materials to begin with.

These innovations are placing Northvolt at the forefront of the green battery revolution.

To find out more about Northvolt, visit their website at: https://northvolt.com/