Technology Minerals PLC (LSE:TM1) said Recyclus, its 49%-owned battery recycling business, has received approval from the UK’s Environmental Agency to recycle car batteries at its Tipton plant in the Midlands.
Approved Battery Treatment Operator (ABTO) status authorises Recyclus to produce up to 15,000 metric tonnes (MT) of lead per year from the recycling of lead-acid batteries.
Technology Minerals said the approval allows Recyclus immediately to start the manual recycling of batteries at its lead-acid facility, with a move to a fully automated recycling process later following receipt of a variation of licence.
The Recyclus system produces materials such as hard lead that can be used in grids and terminals, soft lead for battery paste and sulphuric acid that can be used in fertilisers for agricultural use.
Robin Brundle, Technology Mlnerals' chairman, added: “Once fully operational, the Tipton plant positions us to become one of the leading accredited battery recyclers internationally.
"The lead-acid battery recycling industry is currently a major polluter, with over 18,000 tonnes of spent batteries incinerated or sent to landfill each year in the UK alone.
“It is vital that companies look to strip back 'greenwashing' and promote homegrown waste management solutions if the UK is to achieve its COP26 net zero targets.”