CATL subsidiary Brunp Recycling has released information about its latest material recovery rates in battery recycling: the Chinese company now extracts almost 100 per cent of nickel, cobalt and manganese from battery scrap and, according to its own figures, 96.5 per cent of lithium.
According to the Chinese news portal CN EV Post, Brunp Recycling achieved increased material recovery rates through its proprietary DRT (Directional Recycling Technology) and reports a rate of exactly 99.6 per cent for the recycling of nickel, cobalt and manganese. According to the company, the rate for lithium is three percentage points lower. In total, Brunp processed over 120,000 tonnes of used batteries and 17,100 tonnes of recycled lithium salts in 2024. This was reported by CN EV Post, citing official CATL statements on Weibo.
DRT technology primarily involves processes such as intelligent dismantling, hydrometallurgy and advanced material recovery. Brunp is said to be working on the continuous improvement of its processes. The company, headquartered in Foshan in Guangdong province, is considered one of the largest battery recycling companies in the world. It was founded in 2005, initially focusing on the recycling of lithium batteries. In 2011, Brunp shifted its focus to the recycling of traction batteries. In 2015, CATL acquired a majority stake in the company.
Parent company CATL has created two large industrial parks for recycling battery raw materials and processing them into new batteries: one in the Chinese city of Yichang and one in Foshan. The reason for this is that the world’s largest battery manufacturer sees growing importance in recycling and reprocessing materials. In view of the growing NEV market, this approach will become “an important source of raw materials,” CATL stated back in 2023.
Since then, Brunp has heavily expanded, announcing a partnership with Mercedes and Volkswagen, as well as being heavily involved in CATL’s new battery factory in Indonesia.
cnevpost.com
