Jointly being delivered with Climate Smart Mining

Presentation | Recording

Reuse and recycling of lithium-ion batteries, at the right scale and capacity, can be an efficient and cleaner option in supporting the green energy transition. Since lithium-ion batteries contain materials that are potentially hazardous to the environment, it is vital that a system is established for the effective management of the batteries throughout their operations, with disposal eventually reaching a net zero target.

In addition, for countries lacking copper, cobalt, and other key metals, a robust recycling regime may enhance their strategic reserves. In this webinar, we shared an overview of the state of affairs with regards to re-use and recycling of lithium-Ion batteries and make recommendations for countries that want to play a larger role in this burgeoning area.

Areas covered during the webinar included:

Understanding the re-using and recycling issue, and identifying the technology attributes most relevant for environmental sustainability/circular economy;
Taking stock of current re-use/recycling practices; and how to design a system to effectively manage the end of life management of batteries to take advantage of their full lifecycle and minerals;
Ideas for going forward, identifying research areas and policy-based recommendations that will work towards establishing a circular economy approach for lithium ion batteries; and
Short presentation on relevant projects in South Africa will be provided as well a "heads up" to participants on an upcoming workshop in Africa being organized by the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), in partnership with the World Bank’s Climate-Smart Mining Initiative and the Faraday Institution.