Global Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Market - 2023-2030

The Global Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Market reached USD 6.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 20.4 billion by 2031, growing with a CAGR of 22.3% during the forecast period 2024-2031.

The lithium-ion batteries are in popular demand for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are tremendously growing in military and aerospace applications. The development of superior battery technology and reduced maintenance requirements for lithium-ion batteries has increased the number of electric vehicles.

With improving lithium-ion battery usage in various consumer products, the danger of explosion and disposal has become tough; therefore, lithium-ion battery recycling becomes necessary to prevent such severe disasters. Some of the significant factors driving the lithium-ion battery recycling market are increasing investments in the development of electric vehicles and growing incentives to encourage battery recycling.

Lithium-Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) provides several benefits over lithium cobalt oxide and other classic anode materials, including a longer life cycle, lower cost, higher energy density and NMC cathodes containing the most energy amount by weight and volume. North America is among the growing regions in the Global Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Market, covering more than 1/5th of the market share due to heavy government investment and collaborations for research & development. Further, the hydrometallurgy process segment is the fastest-growing in the technology segment. The respective segment is close to reaching almost 1/3rd of the market share in the technology segment due to its enhanced safety and high recovery rate.

Market Dynamics

Increasing Adoption and Investment

According to the International Energy Agency's prediction, the number of electric vehicles on the road worldwide will climb from 3 million to 125 million by 2031. As of now, electric vehicles account for only 2.6% of all cars sold globally and around 1% of global car stock. On the other hand, the expanding number of electric vehicles presents a significant waste management challenge for recyclers towards the end of their useful lives. According to industry estimates, the globe will produce 11 million metric tons of old Li-ion batteries per year by 2031.

Batteries powering electric vehicles consume many plastics, rare minerals and metals. Most businesses have begun to recycle lithium-ion batteries as raw materials such as cobalt or lithium have low accessibility, thereby increasing the market of Li-ion battery recycling in the forecast period. Also, lithium metal availability is limited and they offer high energy and power density, leading to increased battery demand. Therefore, the recycled metal is preferred in the production of these batteries.

Growing Government Policies and EPA Guidelines Regarding the Safe Disposal and Recycling of Batteries

Batteries are composed of heavy metals and hazardous chemicals; hence, the direct disposal of these batteries’ waste has garnered environmental concerns due to water and soil contamination. Thus, various countries have started imposing strict rules to encourage recycling batteries and dumping them into the environment after primary and secondary treatment.

Out of various regional players, North America, holds a dominating position of li-ion battery recycling market share. The dominance is attributed to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) focusing on regional air emission standards.

Recycling can recover up to half of the important metals such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, lithium, manganese and nickel used in secondary applications. Furthermore, the Battery Directive was set up in 2006 by the European Union, responsible for regulating and recycling batteries.

The team was set up to tackle the increasing number of batteries entering the EU market. The main focus is to extract cobalt from the Li-ion batteries as it holds high economic values and is an important raw material for the EU market. Thus these regulatory bodies are expected to propel the demand for Li-ion battery recycling in the forecast period.

High Investment Cost

The projected growth of the global market is anticipated to be impeded over the forecast period due to the substantial capital investment required for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, the costs associated with recycling, including labor, materials, utilities, and other related expenses, pose a significant challenge. When it comes to the recycling costs, labor, materials, utilities and others has to be considerd. Among the various recycling methods available, hydrometallurgy stands out as the most cost-effective option, while the pyrometallurgy process emerges as the most expensive alternative.

Additionally, chemicals for leaching raise the material costs of hydrometallurgical recycling. Due to lower labor costs and general expenses, China has the lowest recycling costs of any country. The recycling process accounts for 75-90% of total recycling expenditures.

For EV battery recycling, consider that direct recycling is still in its early development and commercialization phases. Additionally, the use of chemicals for leaching in hydrometallurgical recycling contributes to the elevated material costs. Notably, the recycling process itself represents a substantial portion, ranging from 75% to 90%, of the total expenditures associated with recycling activities.

Market Segmentation Analysis

The Global Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Market is segmented based on battery chemistry, technology, end-user and region.

Enhanced Safety Safety and High Recovery Rate

The hydrometallurgical process segment in the global lithium-ion battery recycling market was valued at US$ 2.8 billion in 2022. After pretreatment, hydrometallurgy is commonly employed to recover LIBs. The physical features of the materials in the spent LIBs, such as morphology, density and magnetism, are considered.

The treated battery cases, electrodes and membranes storing electrolytes are handled separately to maximize hydrometallurgical operations' safety and recovery rate. At the same time, it minimizes energy consumption when employing hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical recovery electrode materials. In hydrometallurgy, leaching and reduction are prevalent.

For the recycling of used lithium-ion batteries, the hydrometallurgical process is seen to be the best option. The respective approach works with all lithium-ion battery formats and chemistries, recovering at least 95% of the battery's constituent elements (black mass).

Electrode coatings (metal oxides and carbon) make up black matter, containing valuable components like graphite, manganese, cobalt, nickel and lithium. Additional processing is required to isolate manganese, cobalt, nickel and lithium salts from black matter.

Market Geographical Share

Heavy Government Investment and Collaborations for Research & Development

The North America lithium-ion battery recycling market was valued at USD 2.1 billion in 2022. The region has extensive applications of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in electronics, toys, wireless headphones, handheld power tools, small and large appliances, electric cars and electrical energy storage devices.

The governments invest in facilities to recover cobalt, nickel, lithium and other elements from used batteries and recycle them into useable material in response to widespread concerns about crucial mineral shortages for electric vehicles and energy storage batteries.

For instance, The ""Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling Act of 2020"" calls investment of USD 150 million over the next five years to fund research into ""innovative"" battery recycling methods and to assist in the establishment of a national collection system.

Moreover, the U.S. Department of Energy created a research and development center in 2019 to recycle essential elements from lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium and cobalt. The Department of Energy has committed an investment of USD 15 million over three years to the ReCell Center. The U.S. Department of Energy wants to bring EV batteries cost down to USD 80 per kilowatt-hour, which might be accomplished by reusing lithium-ion battery ingredients in new batteries, lowering production costs by 10 to 30%. According to the officials, the collaboration between the national laboratories and several universities is also an attempt to catch up with China and other countries that manufacture and recycle the vast majority of lithium-ion batteries, including those exported from the U.S.

Market Companies

The major global players include Glencore, Raw Materials Company, Umicore, Neometals Ltd, American Manganese Inc., Retriev Technologies, Li-Cycle Corp, SNAM (A subsidiary of Floridienne Group), TES and Duesenfeld GmbH.

COVID-19 Impact on Market

The global Li-ion battery recycling has shown a slight decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic since many manufacturing facilities were partially closed for months with limited running production units. Further, several countries have restricted their activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sudden lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak leads to suddenly dropping consumers' interest in purchasing goods and a halt in transportation sectors, which has severely hampered the Li-ion battery recycling market due to disruption in the product's supply chain management. Lithium-ion battery recycling is highly dependent on import and export services. Countries like India and China import a major percentage of lithium-ion batteries from various countries to recycle.

However, due to supply chain disruption, many countries have completely shut down the transportation service due to limitations in cross-broader trade, leading to a halt of parts transportation between countries and affecting the overall market share for the product. During the first half of 2020, major electric vehicles battery manufacturers such as LG Chem and Panasonic, which have battery manufacturing sites in China, were severely impacted.

Lockdown measures paralyzed manufacturing facilities and supply chains on the one hand and consumer demand on the other, in the first half of 2020. COVID-19 is expected to have a minor influence on the lithium-ion battery recycling market due to its impact on the electric car industry, one of the primary end-use industries for lithium-ion batteries. Although the shutdown hampered electric vehicle sales, there were early hints of the market's recovery.

Russia- Ukraine War Impact

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has had far-reaching consequences across various industries, and one sector significantly affected is the global lithium-ion battery recycling market. The Russia-Ukraine war has disrupted the global supply chain of lithium-ion batteries, primarily due to the significant presence of critical minerals required for battery production in the region.

Ukraine has substantial reserves of key materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, essential for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. The conflict has caused disruptions in mining operations, extraction, and transportation, leading to a scarcity of these crucial resources.

Further, the scarcity of raw materials resulting from the conflict has led to a surge in battery prices globally. As the demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to rise, particularly in the electric vehicle sector, limited supply has driven up the cost of battery production. Higher battery prices directly impact the overall cost of EVs and renewable energy systems, potentially hampering their widespread adoption.

Stakeholders, governments, and the international community must address these challenges to ensure a sustainable and resilient lithium-ion battery ecosystem, supporting the growth of clean energy and reducing dependence on conflict-affected regions.

Key Developments
• On June 2, 2021, Retriev Technologies Inc. collaborated with HOBI International Inc. to collect and recycle large electric vehicle (EV) batteries across North America. Recognizing the EV market's fast expansion and predicted growth, the purpose of this collaboration is to ensure that the lithium batteries used in EVs are collected and appropriately recycled to add value to the battery industry's circular economy.
• On April 11, 2023, Glencore partnered with Iberdrola, a renewable energy firm and FCC, a FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente subsidiary in order to offer litium-ion battery recycling solutions in Portugal and Spain.
• On February 15, 2021, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., an Ontario based corporation and Peridot Acquisition Corporation, a Cayman Islands exempted company and Li-Cycle Corp., an Ontario corporation entered into the business combination agreement to invest in each other by purchasing shares of each other. The companies intend to benefit from each other's resources with this agreement mutually.

Why Purchase the Report?
• To visualize the Global Lithium-Ion Battery recycling market segmentation based on battery chemistry, technology, end-user and region, as well as understand key commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities by analyzing trends and co-development.
• Excel data sheet with numerous lithium-ion battery recycling market-level data points with all segments.
• PDF report consists of a comprehensive analysis after exhaustive qualitative interviews and an in-depth study.
• Product mapping available as Excel consisting of key products of all the major players.

The Global Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Market Report Would Provide Approximately 61 Tables, 62 Figures And 205 Pages.

Target Audience 2024
• Manufacturers/ Buyers
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Research Professionals
• Emerging Companies