Finland to lead European battery industry research into recycling - project will be led by Outotec and Aalto University

The EU Commission has compiled the European Strategic Action Plan for Batteries which puts together a comprehensive set of concrete measures to develop an innovative, sustainable and competitive battery ecosystem. One of these measures is recycling at every stage of the battery value chain from materials to applications and products.

The battery market is growing rapidly due to electric cars and other electrification. Vice-President of the European Commission for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič has estimated that in two years Europe could already have a battery market worth EUR 250 billion. In this case, the recycling of battery raw materials and equipment, for example, will become even more important.

Recognition of Finland’s strengths

Recycling is one part of the Batteries from Finland activation program launched by Business Finland at the beginning of this year. The aim is to make Finland the leading country for battery recycling know-how.

“It’s great that our battery industry strengths have been recognised in Europe. Finnish companies and research groups have significant know-how especially in the field of battery minerals and applications. Our actors have the potential to develop the battery solutions of the future which take recyclability into account,” says Jarmo Heinonen, Senior Director, Business Finland.

Outotec, which is one the world’s leading mining industry actors, will lead the project with Aalto University’s Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering as its main partner.

“The lithium battery research and business have taken a huge leap forward in the past few years. A pilot project is currently being prepared in the EU to support the ongoing research projects in the sector, which will cover the whole battery recycling process starting from their collection and processing. The objective is to return, in an economically viable way, as big a proportion as possible of the battery materials to the battery production so that the recycling is connected with the primary production. In addition, the goal is to define the long-term visions, strategic research agenda and operational programs,” says Ilkka Kojo, Director, Environment and Sustainability, Outotec.

“The expertise and the tools that have created internationally competitive cleantech know-how in Finland in the primary production of metals will now be harnessed, along with the electrification process, to improve the circular economy of battery metals,” says Mari Lundström, Assistant Professor of Hydrometallurgy at Aalto University.

More information:

Mari Lundström
Tel. 040 4873 434
mari.lundstrom(at)aalto.fi

Ilkka Kojo
Tel. 040 7587447
ilkka.kojo(at)outotec.com

Jarmo Heinonen
Tel. 050 5577 790
jarmo.heinonen(at)businessfinland.fi

Photo: Nita Vera