Recycling technology and supply chain platform ACE Green Recycling (ACE) and diversified miner Glencore have entered into a long-term supply agreement for recycled lead, as well as key battery metal based end-products from recycled lithium-ion batteries.

This strategic partnership will help create a circular supply chain on a global scale for high-demand battery materials, while reducing their environmental footprint.

ACE has developed a portfolio of proprietary technologies to recycle batteries with zero Scope 1 emissions and extract their critical materials with minimal environmental footprint.

By pioneering innovative hydrometallurgical recycling processes for both lead-acid batteries (LABs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), with recovery rates higher than 99% and 98% respectively, ACE has developed closed-loop and environmentally sustainable end-of-life solutions for both types of batteries.

Once operating at commercial scale, ACE’s recycling facilities forming part of this agreement are estimated to have a total processing capacity of 250 000 t/y of LABs and 47 000 t/y of LIBs.

The 15-year agreement enables Glencore, which produces and recycles battery metals, to purchase up to 100% of ACE’s products from four of its planned lead-acid and lithium-ion battery recycling parks being built in the US, India and Thailand.

The parks, expected to be complete by 2024, are expected to cumulatively produce 1.6-million tons of recycled metals containing lead, lithium, nickel and cobalt.

Glencore recycling head Kunal Sinha says the partnership with ACE furthers the miner’s objective of creating a global circularity platform for battery metals. “These recycling parks will not only provide a unique domestic, but also regional, solution for furthering circularity in batteries – both high and low voltage.”

The partnership will also support Glencore’s ambition to become a net-zero total emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) company by 2050.

ACE CEO and co-founder Nishchay Chadha says that to safeguard a greener future, ACE needed to create sustainable and localised circular supply chain solutions to ensure these critical battery materials are available indefinitely.

ACE’s first commercial LIB recycling facility is set to start up this month in Ghaziabad, India, where it will recycle various battery chemistries such as lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide; lithium cobalt oxide; and lithium iron phosphate, to extract valuable battery materials.

A second Indian facility in Mundra is expected to come online in the fourth quarter of 2023 at the same time as ACE’s flagship plant in Texas, US will start operations. Both facilities are projected to process up to 100 000 t/y of LABs and 20 000 t/y of LIBs by 2025.

The global deal between ACE and Glencore will lead to expanded and improved battery circularity in both developed and emerging markets.

ACE CTO and co-founder Vipin Tyagi says the company’s modular and battery chemistry agnostic recycling technology platform offers the flexibility to customise the company’s solutions for both developed and developing markets.

“Along with positive environmental, social and corporate governance components, and cost competitiveness, ACE’s battery recycling solutions provide real-world commercial and social benefits.”