Reports out of the US are identifying a huge and growing market in the extraction of cobalt from spent lithium-ion batteries with a market value of over $US 230 million. American Manganese Inc. is looking to commission a new plant in early 2018 which will serve to provide ‘continuous recovery’ of cathode material and the potential to design a industrial-scale recycling facility. The US Company is looking to recycle other valuable cathode metals such as nickel, aluminium, lithium and manganese from the various cathode chemistries.
AMI in July posted monetary values (per 500kg) of the metals recovered from electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries. US$5,947 for lithium cobalt, US$2,347 for nickel manganese cobalt; and US$1,585 for nickel cobalt aluminium
Cobalt is currently under severe supply side pressure and indications are that this is likely to continue with the battery industry estimated to consume over 40% of global cobalt supply. With the focus on new technologies, and the growing use of more battery power, the importance of recycling is paramount in delivering supplies to the continuing cobalt shortage.
Recycal and its sister company, CMA Ecocycle, are committed to looking at these new technologies and relationships to reduce the amount of batteries ending up in landfill.
