Technology Minerals PLC (LSE:TM1) Scientific Director Anwar Sattar talked with Proactive about the company's recent advancements in battery recycling, including a £50,000 grant from the Clean Futures Accelerator Program.
This funding, matched by the company, will enable Technology Minerals to develop an innovative process to recycle lithium thionyl chloride batteries, which are currently unrecycled in Europe.
Sattar explained that these batteries, used in various industrial applications such as gas meters and fire alarms, contain toxic chemicals that need to be properly treated. The new recycling process will neutralize these chemicals and extract valuable lithium for reuse.
Here’s the interview:
Proactive: I'm joined by Technology Minerals Scientific Director Anwar Sattar. Anwar, very good to meet you. You've announced your battery recycling business, Recyclus, has been awarded £50,000 in funding by the Clean Future's Accelerator Program. So, an endorsement of the work that you're doing?
Anwar Sattar: Hi, Stephen. Yes, thank you. So, we've been awarded £50,000 by the Clean Futures Accelerator. We aim to match that with another £50,000.
The aim is to develop a battery recycling process for lithium thionyl chloride batteries. Lithium thionyl chloride batteries are found in a variety of applications, including water meters, gas meters, fire alarms, and other industrial applications.
Proactive: So how will your lithium-ion recycling business facilitate this? Is it set up to do that at the moment, or will the funds be used to process that?
Anwar Sattar: The funds will be used to develop a completely new innovative process. With £100,000 in total, we’re creating a small-scale process, which we plan to scale up.
This will allow us to prove the concept, and once proven, we can secure additional funding to expand it to an industrial scale.
Proactive: Take us through the process. When you recycle these batteries, what will you do with the recycled material?
Anwar Sattar: The vast majority of the mass of lithium thionyl chloride batteries—about 50%—is thionyl chloride, a toxic chemical. We want to neutralize that chemical. About 5% of the battery’s mass is lithium.
For every tonne, there’s around 50kg of lithium, which is enough to power seven Teslas.
We aim to neutralize the toxic chemicals and recycle the lithium to reintroduce it into the supply chain.
Proactive: Will this all be happening at your Wolverhampton plant?
Anwar Sattar: Yes, initially at the Wolverhampton facility. As we scale up, we’ll decide whether to keep the operations there or move to a larger facility, but for now, it will be at Wolverhampton.
Proactive: I believe you recently set a record at the Wolverhampton plant for processing lithium-ion batteries under four kilograms.
Anwar Sattar: Yes, we processed about 7.2 tonnes in a day.
Over the last year, we've improved the plant significantly, and we now have one of the most experienced battery recycling teams in the UK and potentially in Europe.
Once we begin processing larger EV batteries, that 7.2 tonnes per day record will be surpassed multiple times in the coming months.
Proactive: I hope you’ll keep us updated on that progress, Anwar. Thank you very much for speaking with us today.
Anwar Sattar: Thank you, and we’ll definitely keep you updated.