American Manganese has contracted UK-based Minviro to assess its battery recycling-upcycling process.

The Canadian company uses its closed-loop RecycLiCo process to recycle and upcycle lithion-ion battery waste. Its recycling plant has a more than 99% leach extraction efficiency for lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt.

It is also capable of recycling a variety of battery chemistries.

Minviro has been contracted to assess American Manganese's process and determine the project's total environmental footprint, considering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, using its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Minviro will also highlight how American Manganese can further reduce environmental impact in its recycling process.

The study will undertake a ‘gate to gate' analysis which will measure the environmental impacts of the process and its production of cathode precursor material from battery waste.

Minviro will then compare these impacts with conventional cathode production processes. All results will be reviewed by third-party experts, American Manganese said.

The assessment process will allow American Manganese to have the highest efficiency in recyclying and upcycling lithium-ion batteries, chief executive Larry Reaugh said.

Minviro has been focused on diminishing the environmental impact of battery production. Minviro has applied its LCA process to other mineral production processes, including graphite and rare earths production processes.

The consultancy released a report last fall which found that the lithium-ion battery supply chain contains risks for increased environmental costs, and underlined the importance of ensuring battery components are sourced in the greenest method possible.