Stellantis and Orano partnering on circular economy in EV batteries

The maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, and other cars, Stellantis, is creating a joint venture with French nuclear technology company Orano to recycle electric vehicle batteries and factory scrap. The partnership will focus on reclaiming cobalt, nickel, and lithium – materials that are key to electrification and the transition to renewable energy sources.

“The United Nations’ sustainable development goals have confirmed the need to find solutions like this one with Orano to meet the challenge of natural resource scarcity and sustainability,” said Alison Jones, a senior vice president at Hoofdorp, Netherlands-based Stellantis, in a press release. “Stellantis is committed to shifting its production and consumption model by fulfilling its circular economy commitment.”

Orano’s technology recovers 90 percent of materials from lithium-ion batteries for new cathodes and other materials. The two companies will also produce “black mass” or “active mass,” that are reused in batteries, for example.

The partnership arguably positions Orano as a key electric battery supply chain player. 

“We are proud to bring our expertise and know-how with our innovative and disruptive process which allows a real closed loop,” said Orano Group Director of Innovation, R&D and Nuclear Medicine, Magnets and Batteries Guillaume Dureau. “Orano continues its commitment to developing a low-carbon economy with the recycling of strategic materials for the energy transition and the circular economy.”

The joint venture would begin operations in 2026. The two companies will start work in existing Stellantis facilities but then shift some operations to a new hydrometallurgical plant that Orano plans to build in Dunkirk, France. ce/jd