On August 1st, Li-Cycle announced that its first European battery recycling plant in Magdeburg, Germany began operations. The German Spoke will process up to 10,000 tonnes of battery material per year and ramp up to 30,000 tonnes eventually, inclusive of 10,000-tonne ancillary capacity planned. The company reported that the first processing line has started operations, and the second line will start later this year. 

Li-Cycle’s business is based on its strategically located Hubs and Spokes, and strong commercial partnerships. Besides the German spoke, Li-Cycle plans to build two other Spokes in Norway and France by 2024, each with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes. In May 2023, Glencore and Li-Cycle signed an intent letter on jointly conduct a feasibility study for establishing a black mass refining plant on the Italian island of Sardinia. The initiative will repurpose Glencore’s Portovesme metallurgical complex to recycle battery materials such as nickel, cobalt and lithium through hydrometallurgical processes. The two companies aim to commence the Portovesme Hub with an annual capacity of 50,000 to 70,000 tonnes of black mass by the end of 2026 or early 2027. Part of the feedstock is likely to be sourced from Li-Cycle’s planned Spoke plants in Europe.  

Li-Cycle is also expanding its network through partnership with EVE Energy globally. In July 2023, Li-Cycle signed a memorandum of understanding with EVE Energy to provide battery recycling solutions for EVE in North America and recycle the production scrap for EVE’s battery production plant in Europe and Asia excluding China. EVE is currently building two battery production plants in Hungary and Malaysia. 

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