Mining black gold above ground: Norwegian aluminum giant Norsk Hydro and Swedish electric battery maker Northvolt are producing mineral powder essential for the energy transition from used and defective EV batteries, AFP reported. The powder produced — dubbed “black gold” — is made up of nickel, manganese, cobalt, lithium and graphite, in a “mine above ground.” The pair’s Norwegian Hydrovolt plant is expected to process 25k electric car batteries within the next months, making it the largest battery recycling plant in Europe.

The lithium-ion battery packs are taken apart to recover up to 95% of the materials, the news outlet writes. The aluminum is recycled by Norsk Hydro, while the “black mass” powder is sold to battery makers in China and South Korea where the metals are first extracted from the powder before being used to make new batteries.

Northvolt is eyeing markets where EVs are booming: The company is looking to expand in Germany, France and the US where the rate of EV demand is growing, especially after the EU parliament recently adopted regulations making batteries more recyclable. Recycling old batteries could cover between 8-12% of Europe’s critical mineral needs by 2030, and between 12-14% by 2035, AFP reports, citing Transport & Environment.

It may take a while for the EV battery recycling market to take off: While some carmakers have already set up their own recycling operations, the market for old EV batteries is currently non-existent, Reuters reports. However, a “tsunami” of used batteries will hit the market in 5 years, especially as the lifetime of batteries used for grid storage comes to an end. While the capacity of EV batteries fall below 80-85% after 8-to-10 years of use, car users can keep their cars for over 12 years without replacing the battery, squeezing demand for recycling even further, according to the newswire.

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