Battery recycling company gears up for expansion

The company recovers critical metals from old electric vehicle batteries

The UK's first electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling plant has secured millions of dollars of investment to help scale up its Plymouth-based business.

Altilium Clean Technology employs 50 staff across three locations in the city and Tavistock.

The firm said it had pulled in $20m over the last 18 months from a variety of private investors, and was looking to expand its operations.

Bosses said it would reduce the UK's dependency on mined raw materials, improve energy security and make electric vehicles even greener in the future.

The company employs 50 staff across Plymouth and Tavistock

The company's process recovers critical metals, including lithium, from old EV batteries, which can then be used in the production of new batteries.

Altilium's chief operating officer, Christian Marston, said: "In old EV batteries and production scrap from giga-factories, we have that strategic asset already in the UK and companies like Altilium can take those waste streams, recover these critical minerals and put them back in to build new batteries to electrify everything and allow us to get to net zero".

A recent recruitment drive has seen specialists in chemical and mechanical engineering from across the UK join the business, the company said.

It said it was actively engaging with schools, colleges and universities in Plymouth to foster Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities for early-stage careers.

'Exciting expansion plans'

Emily Hatcher, head of people and culture at Altilium, said: "Our teams across R&D, engineering and business operations are driving advancements in clean technology every day, building a truly circular economy for critical battery materials.

"We plan to continue accelerating and have exciting expansion plans ahead."

As well as its operations in Devon, Altilium is also looking to build one of the largest EV battery recycling plants in Europe on Teeside.

The company is aiming to supply 50% of the lithium and nickel needed for EV batteries in the UK by 2040.