Plymouth-based cleantech firm Altilium has been awarded £18.5m in grant funding through the UK government’s DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) and Innovate UK.
The company’s EcoCathode process converts end-of-life EV batteries and manufacturing scrap into battery precursors, cathode active materials (CAM) and cathode precursors (pCAM) for direct reuse in new batteries.
The funding will support the construction of Altilium’s new ACT3 recycling facility in Plymouth, which will be the UK’s first commercial refinery for the recovery of critical battery materials from end-of-life EV batteries.
The ACT3 plant will have capacity to process 24,000 EV batteries per year, producing high-value battery intermediates including nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), lithium sulphate and graphite – all of which are essential components for next-generation battery manufacturing.
Construction of the facility is expected to commence in summer 2026, with commissioning planned for the end of 2027. The expansion is expected to create 70 new jobs in Plymouth.
“By scaling our recycling technology and building the UK’s first commercial facility of its kind, we are closing the loop on battery materials and enhancing the growth, productivity and competitiveness of the UK automotive supply chain,” says Christian Marston, COO at Altilium.
In addition to the grant funding, Altilium has secured over £17m in private investment to date, including strategic investments from SQM, Marubeni Corporation and Mizuho Bank.
