The German-Canadian company recently published construction plans for the first European lithium factory in Brandenburg, Germany. This will now also become the first in the industry to aim for carbon neutrality.
The aim of the cooperation is to achieve more transparency in the lithium supply chain - from the raw material, spodumene, to the end product: lithium hydroxide. In the future, it should also be possible to track the battery, its life cycle in the car and recycling.
Calculation of the lithium eco-balance
In this way, Rock Tech would make a significant contribution to a holistic view of the ecological footprint of electric vehicles. In the future, the company also aims to recycle the lithium produced at the end of the battery's life. In this way, Rock Tech wants to close the cycle and in turn secure sustainable access to the raw material. Fraunhofer Umsicht supports Rock Tech in recording all material and energy flows and calculating the life cycle assessment of the processes along the entire value chain.
See also: Return of „made in Europe“
Circulor offers Rock Tech traceability of lithium from the mine in Canada to the lithium hydroxide plant in Germany. The British green tech company tracks raw materials using a software solution in real time, even when they change their physical state, as in the case of lithium. Furthermore, Circulor also offers traceability of CO2 emissions generated in the supply chain, allowing Rock Tech to analyse and manage them at every stage of the delivery process.
50 per cent recycled from spent batteries
Rock Tech Lithium's goal is thus to become the first closed-loop supplier of lithium hydroxide. Currently, only one per cent of lithium from batteries is recycled worldwide. The German-Canadian company wants to use 50 per cent recycled materials from old batteries in the production of battery-grade lithium hydroxide by 2030 at the latest. (nhp/mfo)
Also interesting: Availability of recycled materials to rise massively by 2030
