Stellantis and Orano have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture dedicated to the recycling of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and waste from gigafactories in the Extended Europe and North America, thus strengthening Stellantis’ position in the electric vehicle battery value chain, ensuring additional access to cobalt, nickel, and lithium necessary for electrification and energy transition.
“Following our strategic plan ‘Dare Forward 2030,’ Stellantis is committed to changing its production and consumption model to meet its circular economy commitment.”, emphasized Alison Jones, Stellantis Senior Vice President of the Circular Economy Business Unit.
The joint venture will leverage Orano’s innovative and low-carbon technology, which allows for the recovery of all materials from lithium-ion batteries, as well as the manufacturing of new cathode materials. In addition, the new company will produce materials also known as “black mass” or “active mass,” products that can be refined in Orano’s hydrometallurgical plant to be built in Dunkirk, France, so that the materials can be reused in batteries, thus closing the loop of a circular economy.
Thanks to its innovative pre-treatment approach and state-of-the-art hydrometallurgy technology, metal recovery rates could reach substantial levels, exceeding 90%. This allows manufacturers to meet the recycling rates set by the European Commission for electric vehicle batteries while ensuring the sustainability of the business model.
It should be noted that as part of Stellantis’ “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan, its Circular Economy Business Unit aims to increase recycling revenues tenfold and achieve over €2 billion in total circular economy revenues by 2030. Additionally, Stellantis aims to become a carbon-neutral company in all areas by 2038, with single-digit offsetting of remaining emissions.
