Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Size, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecast - 2030

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market is segmented By End User (Electronics, Industrial, Automotive, Others), By Technology Process (Physical and Mechanical Process, Hydrometallurgical Process, Pyrometallurgy Process), By Type (Lithium-iron Phosphate, Lithium-nickel Manganese Cobalt, Lithium-Titanium Oxide, Lithium-Manganese Oxide, Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2023-2030

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Overview

As per the research report by DataM Intelligence, the global lithium-ion battery recycling market was valued at USD billion in 2022; it is projected to reach USD billion by 2030, with growth at a CAGR of 23.3%% over the forecast period 2023-2030. 

The lithium-ion battery is referred to as a type of rechargeable battery that can be easily recyclable and reused. Lithium-ion batteries are in great demand for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are tremendously growing in military and aerospace applications. The danger of explosion and disposal has become tough with improving lithium-ion battery usage in various consumer products; therefore, lithium-ion battery recycling becomes necessary to prevent such severe disasters. Some significant factors driving the lithium-ion battery recycling market are increasing investments in electric vehicles and incentives to encourage battery recycling. 

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Scope and Summary

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Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Dynamics

Increasing investment in the production of electric vehicles is a major driver for the global lithium-ion battery recycling market:

The growth in electric vehicle production presents a significant waste management challenge for recyclers as lithium-ion batteries approach the end of their operational lives. According to industry estimates, the world will produce 11 million metric tons of old Li-ion batteries annually by 2030. Batteries powering electric vehicles consume many plastics, rare earth elements and other metals. Many businesses have begun to recycle lithium-ion batteries since raw materials such as cobalt or lithium have low accessibility. The increasing investment in the production of electric vehicles will be a major driver for the global market during the forecast period. 

High capital investment associated with lithium-ion battery recycling is expected to restrain the global lithium-ion battery recycling market:

Over the forecast period, the high capital investment associated with lithium-ion battery recycling is expected to prevent the growth of the global market. Regarding the recycling costs (labor, materials, utilities and others), hydrometallurgy is the least expensive, while the pyrometallurgy process is the most expensive. The latter has greater general and utility costs and is more labor-intensive, resulting in higher labor costs. Chemicals for leaching raise the material costs of hydrometallurgical recycling. The recycling process accounts for 75-90% of total recycling expenditures.

The introduction of new technologies is expected to generate new opportunities for the global lithium-ion battery recycling market:

The production cost of batteries is falling due to large-scale manufacturing, decreasing component prices and introducing new battery capacity technologies. The arrival of advanced technology created major opportunities for battery recycling companies to invest a significant chunk of their revenue in redirecting their resources to bring about a breakthrough recycling technology. Therefore, introducing new technologies is expected to create new opportunities for the global lithium-ion battery recycling market during the forecast period.

Difficulty in increasing recycling efficiency presents challenges for the global lithium-ion battery recycling market:

Lithium-ion batteries contain a lot of different metals and plastics. Due to the intricacy of the construction, it is impossible to extract and recycle the entire amount of lithium and other metals in the battery. Increasing the efficiency of existing recycling methods has proved difficult and represents a major challenge for the growth of the global lithium-ion battery recycling market. 

COVID-19 Impact Analysis on Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market

The global Li-ion battery recycling has shown a slight decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic since many manufacturing facilities were partially closed for months with limited running production units. Lithium-ion battery recycling is highly dependent on import and export services. However, due to supply chain disruption, many countries have completely shut down their transportation service due to limitations in cross-border trade, leading to a halt of parts transportation between countries. Despite the short-term challenges, the pandemic is not expected to majorly impact the long-term outlook of the global lithium-ion battery recycling market. 

Recent Developments in the Industry:

1. In June 2021, Retriev Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based battery recycling company, announced a collaboration with HOBI International Inc. to collect and recycle large electric vehicle (E.V.) batteries across North America. 
2. In January 2022, Veolia, a French waste management company, opened its first lithium-ion battery recycling plant in U.K. 
3. In July 2022, SK Group, a South Korean conglomerate, announced its intention to build a series of lithium-ion battery recycling plants in U.S. and Europe, with operations planned for 2025. 

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Segmentation Analysis

The scope of the report covers segmentation based on battery chemistry, technology, end-user and region. The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is segmented by battery chemistry into lithium-manganese oxide (LMO), lithium-nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), lithium-iron phosphate (LFP), lithium-titanate oxide (LTO) and lithium-nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA). The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is segmented by technology into hydrometallurgy process, pyrometallurgy process, mechanical process and others. The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is segmented by end-user into automotive, marine, industrial, power and others. The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is segmented by region into North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

1. Automotive: Millions of vehicles are equipped with Li-ion batteries or are directly powered by them, lowering pollution and energy consumption. The increased adoption of Li-ion batteries in electric cars will likely create a huge market for wasted Li-ion batteries during the forecast period. 
2. Marine: The Energy Storage System (ESS) for marine or sea vehicles is a collection of disparate energy storage technologies with varying energy capacity, cycle life, charging and discharging rates, energy and power density, reaction rate, shelf life and other features. Lithium-nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries are the most used in marine applications because they offer good safety and cell-specific energy.
3. Industrial: UPS, switchgear and control mechanisms and portable industrial machinery and equipment utilize lithium-ion batteries as a power source. 
4. Power: The lithium-ion battery is used in various applications in the power sector, including ESS and other applications. The batteries are used as energy storage systems (ESS) linked with renewables, such as solar, wind or hydro, for residential and commercial applications.
5. Others: Consumer electronics, military and aerospace are some end-users requiring lithium-ion battery recycling. 

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Market Regional Classification:

According to the DataM Intelligence market research report, the global lithium-ion battery recycling market is divided into North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. 

North America has extensive applications of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in electronics, toys, wireless headphones, handheld power tools, small and large appliances, electric cars and electrical energy storage devices. Governments in the region are investing in facilities to recover cobalt, nickel, lithium and other elements from used batteries and recycle them into useable material. The growth of battery recycling plants and favorable government regulations will lead to the growth of the North American lithium-ion battery recycling market. European countries are putting ambitious efforts into developing technologies to recycle lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles, consumer electronics and other sources to ensure a reliable supply of metals critical to battery production. Expanding recycling plants across the region will bolster the European lithium-ion battery recycling market during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is generating significant battery waste due to the rapid expansion of several key industries, such as electronic and automotive manufacturing in the region. Governments in the region are implementing new laws and regulations to promote battery recycling and it is expected to boost the Asia-Pacific lithium-ion battery recycling market. 

Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Companies & Competitive Landscape:

The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is highly consolidated and competitive, with major global and local players active in the market. The major market players are adopting various new strategies to increase their market share, such as launching new technologies, acquisitions and collaborations responsible for global market growth.

Some key companies contributing to the global lithium-ion battery recycling market growth include Glencore, Raw Materials Company, Umicore, Neometals Ltd, American Manganese Inc., Retriev Technologies, Li-Cycle Corp, Floridienne Group, TES and Duesenfeld GmbH, among others.