MECAWARE has been granted $40m in funding from the French Government and investors to develop a first-of-its-kind EV battery recycling project.
Supported by the France 2030 plan, the pilot scheme for the EV battery recycling project, also known as ScrapCO2MET, is set to be operational in 2025.
The revolutionary process will recycle battery production scrap from gigafactories and is estimated to yield 50 tonnes of recycled metal annually, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
Commenting on the development, Arnaud Villers d’Arbouet, Co-Founder and CEO of MECAWARE, said: “MECAWARE is thus deploying a ground-breaking and scalable industrial solution as part of a circular economy approach.
“It makes it possible to secure supplies of raw materials, enabling the strategic independence of our territories to bolster the energy transition, all in compliance with EU Regulations. Our technological solution addresses the current problems caused by traditional processes.”
How does the EV battery recycling process work?
The EV battery recycling project will focus on recovering production scrap from end-of-life batteries, with the process based on cutting-edge innovation in dynamic combinatorial chemistry.
The technology utilises the capture of CO2 to separate different battery metals to give them a new lease of life in a closed-loop process.
By employing captured CO2 as the source, ScrapCO2MET is free from inputs that negatively impact the environment, does not produce any effluent and has no special energy requirements.
The technology is currently subject to four patents. MECAWARE is preparing for the development by finalising the installation of its new 1,600m2 Technical Centre, located on the outskirts of Lyon.
The project involves major industry partners
The £40m funding was organised by Crédit Mutuel Innovation, and the SPI2 fund was managed on behalf of the State of France by Bpifrance as part of the France 2030 initiative.
Partners supporting the initiative include EIT InnoEnergy, UI Investissement, Kreaxi, BNP Paribas Développement, and Crédit Agricole Création.
The funding follows State subsidiaries in partnership with VERKOR and MTB and has bank support from BNP Paribas, CIC, CERA and Bpifrance.
Magali Joessel, Director of the SPI Fund, commented: “The development of electrical mobility goes hand in hand with key issues regarding the procurement of raw materials in terms of both sovereignty and the environment.
“We are convinced that Mecaware’s technology, which seeks to recycle and recover blackmass from end-of-life batteries or production scrap, constitutes a valid response to these challenges.
“The metal extraction process they have created is an innovative solution that fits into the development of the French battery sector.”
