Harjavalta, Finland – Finnish energy company Fortum has begun recovering raw materials from the “black mass” of electric vehicle (EV) batteries at its new recycling facility, marking an achievement in worldwide EV recycling.
“Black mass” is an unofficial term for the shredded material from used batteries, referring to the lithium, cobalt and nickel contents which can be extracted and used to make new batteries rather than any supernatural shenanigans.
In an interview with Reuters, Fortum’s head of batteries, Tero Hollander, said the plant could recover 95 percent of raw materials in lithium-ion batteries, and has invested around 27 million euros into its new facility–the equivalent of $40.6 million.
At the time of writing, the majority of EV battery recycling operations in Canada either prioritize stocking up on EV batteries in anticipation of a future local recycling capability, or businesses currently in the start-up phase of operations.
