Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (5-8-2025)

News from Abroad

CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Syensqo and German firm pilot lithium recovery

from spent EV batteries

Belgian chemicals firm, Syensqo Tenova Advanced Technologies. The
and German battery recycling firm, process uses Cyanex 936P, Syensqo’s
cylib, have achieved pilot-scale lithium proprietary solvent extractant known
hydroxide recovery from end-of-life for lithium selectivity. Following ex-
electric vehicle (EV) batteries. traction, purification, conversion and
crystallisation, the resulting product
“This collaboration marks a major meets, and in some respects exceeds,
advancement in the recovery of valu- the strict purity standards required
able materials, as very few recycling by leading Cathode Active Material
companies today can produce lithium (CAM) manufacturers.
at battery-grade, especially lithium “Syensqo’s technology perfectly
hydroxide, the preferred form of lithium complements cylib’s hydrometallurgi- “By combining our innovative
for new EV batteries,” the companies cal process, enhancing both the yield hydrometallurgical expertise with
said. and purity of recovered lithium,” said Syensqo’s advanced solvent extraction
Laurent Cohen, in charge of Strategic technology, we are setting new stan-
A first in the battery recycling in- Development and Alliances for Mining dards for lithium recovery efficiency
dustry, this achievement enables the Solutions at Syensqo. “By combining and purity,” said Matthias Breidenbach,
extraction and purification of lithium our expertise in solvent extraction with Vice President Commercial at cylib.
from shredded battery electrodes, cylib’s process, we are establishing a
known as black mass, from diffe- scalable, high-purity lithium recovery This achievement also advances
rent battery chemistries, such as NMC route aligned with Europe’s circular the objectives set by the European
(Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) and LFP economy and battery regulation goals.” Union for lithium recovery in battery
(Lithium-Iron-Phosphate), on a single recycling. According to the Battery
operating line. This approach simplifies As part of the project, hundreds of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, adopted
the recycling process, increases ver- litres of cylib’s lithium-rich effluent two years ago, recyclers must recover
satility and potentially reduces capital were processed by Syensqo using an at least 50% of the lithium content in
expenditures (capex), the companies innovative extraction technology co- battery waste by the end of 2027, and
added. developed with its engineering partner, no less than 80% by the end of 2031.

FUNDING BOOST
Mitsubishi Chemical arm invests in Australian recycling firm

Diamond Edge Ventures (DEV), oil in supercritical water under high Prefecture). The Hydro-PRT technology
the corporate venture arm of Japan’s temperature and high pressure, which of UK-based Mura Technology, which
Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG is then refined to produce chemical was adopted for this facility, is based on
Group), is investing in Licella Holdings feedstock and sustainable aviation Licella’s Cat-HTR technology.
Ltd., an Australian advanced recycling fuel (SAF).
and renewable fuels firm. The funding Licella’s process is characterised by
will help accelerate Licella’s global ex- Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation its ability to convert not only plastics
pansion and commercial deployment of (MCC) is involved in the plastic-to- but also biomass into oil.
its proprietary Catalytic Hydrothermal oil conversion business together with
Reactor (Cat-HTR) technology. Japanese energy company, Eneos Corpo- In this regard, MCC has started a
ration, and recently constructed a new pre-feasibility study in March 2025 for
Licella’s Cat-HTR process con- chemical recycling facility at MCC’s the commercialisation of making SAF,
verts waste plastics and biomass into Ibaraki Plant (Kamisu City, Ibaraki bio-naphtha, and renewable diesel

156 Chemical Weekly August 5, 2025

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