Japanese firms launch Al recycling from EV batteries

: Metals
26/08/06

Japan's Prime Planet Energy and Solutions (PPES) and its partners developed and implemented a recycling scheme of aluminium scraps generated during the production process of electric vehicle (EV) battery cells' sealing boards.

PPES — an automotive battery cell manufacturing joint venture between Japanese automaker Toyota and battery producer Panasonic with 51pc and 49pc stakes respectively — has partnered with metal producer Nippon Light Metal, manufacturing firm Fuji Springs and Panasonic subsidiary Panasonic Operational Excellence to launch the closed-loop recycling scheme to turn aluminium scraps into aluminium materials for EV battery parts, PPES said on 5 August.

The companies plan to reduce the use of new aluminium ingot by 200 t/yr through this recycling process. They expect to enhance the supply security of aluminium, lower procurement costs and reduce the environmental burden from mining and refining.

Metal recycling is increasingly important in resource-scarce Japan because of rising demand for metals for decarbonisation technologies such as EVs and stationary batteries for renewable power, as well as potential supply instability, especially from China. Japanese firms are attempting to develop recycling technologies and enhance partnerships with domestic and overseas organisations to address this.

Japanese trading house Sumitomo plans to process used lithium-ion batteries from Australia and New Zealand into an intermediate material "black mass". Japanese industry group the Battery Association for Supply Chain signed an initial agreement with the European Battery Alliance and Brussels-based industry association Recharge in September 2025 to strengthen co-operation on battery recycling.

By Nanami Oki

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