Audi and Umicore have successfully completed the testing phase of their strategic research collaboration focused on sustainable battery recycling. They were able to recover over 90% of the cobalt and nickel from the high-voltage batteries of the Audi e-tron. As a result, the two companies are now entering the next phase of their partnership, which involves a closed loop for cobalt and nickel starting from January. The recovered materials will be used to produce new battery cells.
For the closed-loop pilot project, Umicore will receive cell modules from the Audi e-tron model, which will be extracted from development vehicles. Umicore will then recover the cobalt and nickel from those cells and process them into precursor and cathode materials. These materials will then be used to produce new battery cells containing recycled cobalt and nickel. Audi has always been committed to recycling its vehicles, and it is actively pursuing further recycling techniques to utilize its resources efficiently.
Dr. Bernd Martens, a member of the board of management for Procurement and IT at Audi, says that the closed loop for battery raw materials is a significant technological advancement that helps save valuable resources and reduce CO2 emissions. This is a crucial step towards achieving a sustainable supply chain and reaching Audi’s goal of achieving an overall carbon-neutral balance by 2050. Audi’s sustainability goals extend beyond the product’s development stage to include dealing with the product’s end-of-life and resource-saving development.
Furthermore, Marc Grynberg, CEO of Umicore added: “Umicore is committed to enabling the transition to electrified mobility. Innovative technologies, responsible sourcing and closing the materials loop will lead the drive towards clean mobility. This project with Audi is at the forefront of the development of a sustainable value chain for electrified transport.”
