UK-based clean technology group Altilium has filed its tenth UK patent application covering its proprietary process for the production of key battery intermediates such as nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) from recycled feedstocks.

The company, being focused on the sustainable recovery of critical battery minerals, is working to expand its intellectual property (IP) portfolio.

The latest patent application follows a key technical milestone in the advancement of Altilium’s green processing technologies – the commercial production of nickel MHP for customer qualification at its ACT2 pilot plant in Plymouth, England.

The pilot plant marks the UK’s first pilot plant for electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling, processing 300 kg of black mass daily. The plant is already demonstrating the commercial readiness of the process and the company’s ability to meet stringent industry specifications.

The new MHP flowsheet, which is being developed at the ACT2 facility, enables the recovery of critical battery materials from a wide range of feedstocks such as end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, black mass and manufacturing scrap.

The process is designed to produce high-quality, low carbon MHP, containing both nickel and cobalt, alongside lithium sulphate.

These recovered materials can then be directly reintegrated into new battery production, enabling a truly circular UK battery supply chain.

Altilium will deploy the proprietary process at its new ACT3 commercial facility, currently under construction in Plymouth, which will produce about 3 200 t/y of nickel MHP once commissioned.

This scale-up represents a significant step toward establishing a domestic, sustainable supply of battery-grade materials in the UK.

Altilium says Indonesia is by far the largest global supplier of MHP, therefore establishing a domestic supply chain is critical for the UK’s energy security and geopolitical resilience, as well as a globally competitive battery industry as the world transitions to net zero.

Altilium COO Christian Marston notes the patent filing reflects the strength of the company’s technology platform and its continued focus on innovation in battery recycling.

“By converting recycled materials into high-value intermediates such as nickel MHP, we are helping to close the loop on battery production, reduce reliance on primary mining and onshore production of EV battery materials.”

MHP is increasingly the preferred feedstock for producing battery-grade nickel sulphate for use in EV batteries, with current projections anticipating it will comprise more than 80% of this feedstock market by 2030.

GROWING NEEDS

The new patent application forms a key part of Altilium’s growing suite of UK-based IP, which also spans graphite recycling for anode materials, black mass processing into cathode precursor (pCAM) and cathode active materials (CAM), as well as advanced blending techniques to meet the EU’s minimum recycled content requirements.

Together, these innovations establish a strong economic and technological moat and positions Altilium as a leading force in building a domestic, circular battery ecosystem and a national recycling champion.

The company’s proprietary EcoCathode process converts end-of-life EV batteries and manufacturing scrap into domestic, sustainable, battery precursors, CAM and pCAM for direct reuse in new batteries.

Altilium’s first pilot plant started operations in Plymouth in 2025 while its planned Teesside plant will be one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in Europe.

The plant will have the capacity to process scrap from more than 150 000 EVs a year, producing 30 000 t of CAM, which is enough to meet about 20% of the UK’s expected needs by 2030.