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Why should Europe recycle lithium-ion batteries?

By recycling lithium-ion batteries, Europe can reduce its reliance on virgin raw materials, alleviating environmental burdens associated with mining and extraction. From a geopolitical perspective, battery recycling also paves the way to material sufficiency and supports local economies.

When will lithium-ion batteries be repurposed in Europe?

The interactive map in Figure 1 shows the recycling plants in Europe with corresponding capacities for lithium-ion batteries that are expected to be installed by the end of 2024 and those announced for the coming years, as well as their operators. In particular, the announcements relate to maximum capacities that are named.

When will a battery recycling plant be installed in Europe?

In a recent press release, the Fraunhofer ISI has provided an update on the latest developments including, for example, an interactive map showing the battery recycling plants with corresponding capacities in Europe that are expected to be installed by the end of 2024.

When will EV batteries be repurposed in Europe?

Taken together, ADL estimates that by 2030 the total annual European Li-ion battery recycling market will reach about 130 GWh, which represents more than 700 kilo tons (ktons) of recycling capacity need. It will then increase three-fold by 2040 as more EV batteries reach the end of their usable lives. 2.

Is Europe ready for battery recycling?

Today, Europe is not ready to capture the resilience and sustainability potential from battery recycling. But despite this considerable potential, today neither the EU nor the UK are ready to capture this opportunity. The existing recycling capacity across Europe is 10 times below where it needs to be in 2030, or in 5 years time.

Why should EV batteries be recycled in Europe?

As the volume of end-of-life EV batteries increases over the next decade, Europe faces a supply gap in recycling capacity. Local processing not only reduces logistics costs, but also streamlines permitting and ensures compliance with EU recycling mandates.