Li-Cycle Europe
LICY
Li-Cycle is a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company and North America’s largest pure-play lithium-ion battery recycler, with a rapidly growing presence in Europe.
ID: 027635847945-53
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Pascal Canfin (Member of the European Parliament) and EUROMETAUX and
28 Sept 2023 · Green Deal
Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act
30 Jun 2023
The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) proposal is a vital first step towards boosting the EUs critical raw materials capacities, increasing the resilience of raw materials supply chains, and promoting supply chain sustainability and circularity. It sets high ambitions and a conducive framework for a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials for the European economy. The Parliament and Member States must build on this momentum to deliver a Critical Raw Materials Act that can catalyse new investments and boost European competitiveness, including through domestic lithium battery recycling. As battery manufacturing in the EU continues to grow exponentially to as much as 1.5 TWh by 2030, as projected by the Fraunhofer Institute, Europe must rapidly scale recycling projects to secure supplies of critical battery materials, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. Summary of recommendations: 1. Clarify and strengthen 2030 benchmarks, and reference these benchmarks across future EU legislations of relevance (Article 1) 2. Streamline permitting to support the scale-up of the European battery recycling industry (Articles 8 13) 3. Provide targeted incentives to support the commercialisation and scale-up of battery recycling projects in Europe (Article 15) 4. Ensure recycling-related Strategic Projects meet the highest ESG standards (Article 5, 29 30, Annex III) 5. Updated list of critical and strategic raw materials (Annex I & II); removing battery grade requirement for certain metals
Read full responseMeeting with Pierre-Arnaud Proux (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)
21 Apr 2023 · Lithium-Battery Recycling, Critical Raw Materials Supply and Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework
Response to European Critical Raw Materials Act
25 Nov 2022
In the context of the overarching objectives of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU, Li-Cycle supports the European Commissions proposal for a Critical Raw Materials Act to secure a sustainable supply of critical raw materials. Secure and sustainable supplies of battery materials such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, and graphite will be critical for ensuring rapid energy and mobility transitions. Increasing domestic capacity and investments across the battery value chain including exploration, mining, and refining will be essential. This will ensure maximum value retention within the EU for the benefit of all Europeans. However, the primary supply of battery materials from EU sources is likely going to be insufficient to meet projected demand, and will typically require a significant lead time to commercialize. Domestic battery recycling will need to play a significant role in reducing virgin material demand and reducing import dependency. As a leading lithium-ion battery recycler and resource recovery company, Li-Cycle appreciates the opportunity to provide inputs to the European Commission in response to the public consultation for the proposed Critical Raw Materials Act. In the attached paper, we provide our recommendations for the upcoming CRM package, including three priority action areas focusing on the battery recycling industry: 1) Targeted incentives to support the commercialization and scale-up of battery recycling technologies in Europe, 2) Ambitious ESG standards for battery recycling, and 3) Harmonized and streamlined permitting to support scale-up of the European battery recycling industry. We expect that domestic battery recycling will play a significant role in reducing virgin material demand and reducing import dependency. Recent studies - "Metals for Clean Energy" by KU Leuven and Eurometaux, and Critical Raw Materials for the Energy Transition in the EU by SYSTEMIQ note that a significant portion of the EUs demand for battery materials must be met through recycling. While technological innovation and behavioural changes may provide opportunities for substitution or reduction in the use of some materials, the latter study notes that by 2050, 65% of cobalt and 77% of lithium consumed in the EU will come from secondary sources. Much of this material will be available through the recycling of end-of-life batteries from EVs and stationary storage applications, and battery manufacturing scrap. Policymakers must facilitate the rapid scale-up of battery recycling now to be able to securely and sustainably recover materials from an oncoming surge of manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries. As battery manufacturing in the EU continues to grow exponentially, to as much as 1.5 TWh by 2030 as projected by the Fraunhofer Institute, Europe must look to build recycling facilities that can process manufacturing scrap. Scrap from battery manufacturing facilities including off-spec cells or powder, and electrode cuttings, can be a significant portion of their overall throughput and is likely to constitute a majority of the overall feedstock for recycling until about 2030. Li-Cycle is committed to scaling its safe and sustainable Hub and Spoke Technologies in Europe to close the loop for the battery supply chain. Following our four operational Spokes in North America. we are developing Spokes in Norway and Germany. Li-Cycles hydrometallurgical refinery Hub facility in Rochester, NY is on track to be commissioned in 2023. The Hub will process up to 35,000 tons of black mass per year and produce a range of critical materials, including battery-grade nickel sulphate, lithium carbonate, and cobalt sulphate. Once completed, the Rochester Hub will be one of the world's largest facilities and sources of recycled lithium. Our safe and sustainable recycling process generates no direct emissions, no wastewater discharge and diverts zero waste to landfills.
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