Battery recycling gains new momentum with Lifthium's membrane technology

Europe is entering the decade in which used electric vehicle (EV) batteries must cease to be a problem and start representing an opportunity - and Lifthium aims to be at the forefront of this transformation. The new membrane technology developed by the company for the sustainable refining of lithium allows something previously out of reach for the European industry: to convert lithium carbonate obtained from battery recycling into battery-grade lithium hydroxide in a cleaner and more circular way.

This technological solution, which is more sustainable than conventional chemical conversion using calcium hydroxide, used in countries like Japan, the USA, and China, stands out as a significant step towards implementing a circular and efficient route in the European region for lithium recovered from end-of-life EV batteries, whose availability is expected to increase by more than 20% annually until 2040*.

Lifthium’s advanced electrochemical and purification technology achieves substantially higher lithium recovery rates while generating minimal waste compared to conventional processes. Positioned as a next-generation solution, it embodies the principles of circularity, efficiency, and decarbonization across the lithium value chain.

A key advantage of this innovation lies in its ability to remove complex impurities commonly encountered in battery recycling—such as fluorides, phosphates, silicates, and sulfates—while producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide of a quality unmatched in today’s industry.  

This recycling process avoids the formation of complex liquid effluents, reduces reagent consumption, and minimizes the environmental impact associated with waste treatment. Furthermore, it can process more challenging compositions and utilize materials that might otherwise be rejected or require expensive additional treatments.

For Lifthium, this ability to handle complex compounds from recycling, without intermediate steps, is a competitive differentiator, aligned with European directives on recycling, sustainability, and traceability of critical raw materials in the context of energy transition.

Strategic Commitment

The rather expressive increase of EV in circulation will give growing prominence to the battery recycling segment in the coming years, granting it an increasingly relevant role in the global supply chain. Projections indicate that, by 2030, between 20% to 40% of the refined lithium in Europe could originate from end-of-life batteries**. Beyond process excellence, access to raw material and the establishment of strategic partnerships are cited as the main critical factors for success in this new market.

The integration of a growing proportion of lithium carbonate from recycled sources into the production of lithium hydroxide is a strategic objective for Lifthium, accompanying the natural evolution of the availability of this secondary raw material in the European market.

It was in this context that the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mecaware, a European company specializing in battery recycling technologies, focusing on the selective recovery of critical metals, including lithium - a fundamental step for consolidating the work front in the area of lithium recycling.

The incorporation of recycled lithium into a localized, circular, and sustainable production chain represents a growing business opportunity, but it is also an answer to the European need to reduce external dependence, secure critical raw materials, and achieve carbon neutrality goals.

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Sources:

*McKinsey Battery Insights

**Lifthium Energy