On July 1-2, 2025, Bessiness-Sur Gartempe, France, hosted the 7th General Assembly of the BATRAW project (HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01, Grant No. 101058359), a pioneering initiative to revolutionize end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling and bolster Europe’s circular economy. Co-funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) for Isle Utilities Ltd’s (Isle) participation, BATRAW—short for "Recycling of End-of-Life Battery Packs for Domestic Raw Material Supply Chains and Enhanced Circular Economy"—is a 48-month project aligning with the European Circular Economy Action Plan. Held at the Mining Innovation Centre (CIME), a world-renowned research and development centre specializing in ore treatment and recovery processes own by Orano, the meeting brought together all the project partners to share breakthroughs, foster collaboration, and drive sustainable battery recycling solutions.
Innovating battery recycling for a circular future
BATRAW is transforming Europe’s EV battery recycling landscape by developing advanced technologies and methodologies to maximize material recovery and support domestic supply chains. Through two pilot sites, the project demonstrates scalable solutions for battery disassembly, second-life applications, and material recycling, targeting over 95% recovery of critical materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. These efforts address market challenges, including Europe’s limited refining capacity and dependency on exporting black mass for processing, while preparing for an anticipated surge in end-of-life EV batteries by 2030.
The General Assembly, organized by project coordinator Leitat (Spain), opened with remarks from Bastien Hualpa de Schuyter and Angel Escamilla Pérez, Leitat’s project leads, who highlighted the significance of BATRAW in responding to Europe’s increasing demand for battery materials, projected to reach six million tonnes by 2035. That was followed by a presentation by each of the partners on the technical progress made in the project during the last 6 months.
Dr. Elvira Serra, Associate Director of Consultancy at Isle, emphasized, “BATRAW’s collaborative approach is unlocking the potential of circular battery systems, ensuring sustainable resource use and market readiness for Europe’s green transition.”
Driving impact through exploitation and collaboration
A key focus of the event was to maximise the impact of the project, with Isle spearheading the Innovation Management and Exploitation activities. Represented by Elvira Serra, and Angelos Palaiologos, Isle presented progress on the exploitation assessment cycles, identifying exploitable results with high market potential that include tools for rapid state-of-health characterization, blockchain database software, and novel ceramic pigments, alongside societal exploitable results like battery handling and eco-design guidelines.
Angelos Palaiologos underscored the importance of robust intellectual property strategies, stating, “Our rigorous market assessments and IP management are critical for scaling BATRAW’s innovations, ensuring seamless market adoption post-project.” Dr. Elvira Serra highlighted Isle’ stakeholder engagement efforts, noting, “By prioritizing geographic diversity and influential industry players, our co-design and co-working activities foster collaboration across partners and external stakeholders, accelerating knowledge transfer and policy alignment.”
The meeting included a discussion on the European EV battery recycling market, which addressed market bottlenecks such as limited refining capacity and the projected 9-fold market growth to €240 million by 2029. Partners also visited the BATRAW’s Pilot site in Orano’s facilities, showcasing semi-automated battery disassembly and second-life applications, demonstrating practical solutions to reduce operational costs and enhance material recovery.
Advancing water sector sustainability and carbon net zero goals
The BATRAW project significantly enhances the water sector’s role in Europe’s carbon net zero strategy by embedding circular economy principles into EV battery recycling. For instance, Severn Trent, a leading UK water company, is aligning its operations with the UK’s net-zero ambitions by targeting a 100% electric vehicle fleet by 2030, where suitable models are available, as part of its Triple Carbon Pledge to achieve net-zero operational emissions and 100% renewable energy use by 2030. BATRAW supports such initiatives through innovations like hydrometallurgical recycling at Pilot 2, which minimizes water usage and prevents battery leachate contamination, ensuring sustainable wastewater management. By recovering over 95% of critical materials like lithium and cobalt, BATRAW reduces the environmental impact of raw material extraction, aligning with the EU’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal. Isle’ leadership in stakeholder engagement fosters collaboration with water authorities, promoting water-efficient technologies and circular practices that bolster the water sector’s contribution to a low-carbon future.
How lithium-ion battery recycling contributes to water sustainability and equity
Battery recycling in Europe is a crucial part of the circular economy, offering significant benefits to the water sector. Recycling lithium-ion batteries reduces the need for mining materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are water-intensive and harmful to local water sources. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, for instance, mining acid spills have contaminated the Dikulwe River, displacing communities1. Similarly, in Zimbabwe’s Bikita lithium belt, mining tailings have cut off villagers’ clean water access during droughts2.
Recent research3 highlights the significant environmental benefits of battery recycling. Their findings show that recycling production scrap results in an 88.7% reduction in energy consumption, while reprocessing end-of-life batteries leads to a 77.1% decrease in energy use. Additionally, water consumption is notably reduced, with recycling scrap using 87.7% less water and recycling batteries reducing water usage by 72.2%, compared to conventional recycling methods.
By investing in battery recycling, Europe not only supports the circular economy but also promotes the sustainable use of water resources globally. It’s a win-win: less mining, reduced energy use, and less water consumption, all contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.
What’s next?
As BATRAW embarks on the fourth year mark, partners are refining technologies and market strategies to address challenges like overcapacity risks and declining scrap values, which saw an 11–15% drop in 2024. Over the next six months, the consortium will deepen stakeholder engagement with policymakers, funding bodies, and industry leaders to ensure adoption and scalability. The next General Assembly will be hosted by partners Beeplanet, Indumetal and Comanai in the Basque Country, Spain, in November 2025, in parallel with the Enlit Europe – Energy Transition Event.
Stay tuned for updates on BATRAW’s journey to a circular battery economy.
About BATRAW
Funded by Horizon Europe with a budget of €13 million (Grant No. 101058359), BATRAW advances EV battery recycling through innovative technologies and circular economy principles. Coordinated by Leitat (Spain), the consortium includes research institutes, universities, and industry partners across Europe. Key solutions target semi-automated disassembly, second-life applications, and high-value material recovery to meet Europe’s sustainability goals.
The partners of the project are:
Beeplanet, CEA, CEPS, Cesvimap, Comanai, Ford Otosan, Fraunhofer IWKS, Indumental, Leitat, Minespider, MTB Manufacturing, Orano, POSCO, Recyclia, Renault Ampere, Torrecid, Isle Utilities Ltd.
