What's Happening?
Kamran Mahdavi, CEO of Altilium, a clean tech firm based in Plymouth, is part of a UK trade mission to India led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The mission focuses on enhancing UK-India collaboration on net zero goals. Mahdavi chaired a roundtable in Mumbai to launch the UK-India Critical Minerals and Downstream Collaboration Guild. This initiative aims to drive joint ventures in critical minerals processing and battery recycling. Altilium is recognized for its EcoCathode process, which recovers over 95% of cathode metals from battery waste, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Why It's Important?
The partnership between the UK and India is vital for developing sustainable supply chains for critical minerals, which are essential for the clean energy transition. Altilium's participation underscores the importance of innovation in reducing environmental impact and costs associated with battery production. The collaboration is expected to enhance both countries' capabilities in achieving their net zero targets, promoting economic growth and national security through resilient supply chains.
What's Next?
Altilium's pilot plant in Plymouth is set to begin full operations later this year, with a commercial-scale plant also under construction. The facility will process 24,000 EV batteries annually, creating 70 new jobs. The company is also planning an industrial-scale battery recycling facility, which will recycle battery waste equivalent to 150,000 EVs annually. This expansion is expected to supply a significant portion of the UK's critical minerals demand by 2030, strengthening energy security and industrial resilience.
