Vianode, an advanced battery materials company, and Fortum Battery Recycling, a specialist in recycling valuable metals from electric vehicle (EV) batteries, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on developing a sustainable EV battery recycling value chain.
Image Credit: Vianode
Under the agreement, the two companies will work together to:
- Secure supplies of high-quality recycled graphite concentrate from Fortum’s hydrometallurgical plant in Harjavalta, Finland
- Develop and optimize recycled graphite materials for use in Vianode’s commercial-scale anode production
- Evaluate and enhance the performance of recycled graphite in advanced battery components
"Recycling graphite from end-of-life batteries is vital to reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, lower carbon emissions, and build sustainable supply chains. Access to recycled graphite concentrate with potential to scale volumes over time will support Vianode’s ambition to deliver high-quality anode materials with an industry-leading CO2 footprint below 1 kilogram CO2e per kilogram of graphite by 2030”, says Dr. Stefan Bergold, Chief Commercial Officer of Vianode.
Graphite anode material represents the largest component of lithium-ion batteries by weight, typically around 70 kilograms per EV. By integrating recycled graphite into its production processes, Vianode aims to accelerate the development of low-carbon, high-performance battery materials.
“Fortum Battery Recycling and Vianode have a shared commitment to a more sustainable and less resource-intensive EV battery industry. By recovering valuable and critical graphite from used batteries and returning it to the cycle as battery-grade material, we help enable the production of new lithium-ion batteries with a significantly lower environmental footprint,” says Tero Holländer, Head of Business Line, Batteries, Fortum Recycling & Waste.
Vianode recently launched its first high-performance anode material made from recycled battery-grade graphite as part of the company’s strategy of creating the world’s most sustainable anode graphite and enable a truly circular North American and European battery value chain.
Towards 2030, Europe is expected to see a significant increase in battery recycling as the first generation of EVs reaches the end of their life and new EU legislation requires higher recovery rates and the use of recycled materials in new batteries.