Hannans has partnered with Serbia’s Metalfer Group to commercialise EV battery recycling and processing technology in Europe.
The agreement will see the companies conduct a feasibility study for a ten-tonne per day ‘Spoke’ EV battery recycling plant near Metalfer’s operations in Serbia.
In addition to the study, the agreement opens the door to further work, including the potential to develop a plan for a ‘hub’ hydromet plant capable of processing products from the Spoke plant into high-purity battery materials.
Opening up EV battery recycling to the European market
Brett Salt, CEO of Hannans, commented: “Today’s announcement supports Hannans’ strategy to transform its operations in EV battery recycling and become a battery material supplier to the European market.”
He added: “It would establish a proposed second operating base within the Hannans licensed regions, following the company’s announcement in April this year of an intention to develop a location in the UK.”
Furthermore, the partnership will allow the company to recover materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
Facilitating the ever-growing electric vehicle market
Metalfer uses, in part, scrap steel as feedstock for its steel manufacturing, which includes ‘material volumes of end-of-life’ electric vehicles and their batteries.
The Serbian company says this agreement for lithium-ion battery recycling with Hannans allows it to bolster its EV feedstock operations and a sustainable, industrial-scale battery recycling solution.
“We recognise the need to secure access to large volumes of future end-of-life EVs and the present need to recycle a significantly growing volume of end-of-life batteries and production scrap from planned lithium battery cell production in central and southern Europe,” said Branko Zeĉević, President of Metalfer.
Zeĉević concluded: “The partnership with Hannans presents the perfect opportunity for us to enter what is projected to be one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.”
