UK’s Recovas EV Battery Project Concludes After Pioneering Circular Economy Efforts

EMR Ltd.

Four-year initiative led by EMR establishes blueprint for EV battery reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.

The Recovas consortium, a four-year UK-based collaboration spearheaded by metals recycler EMR Ltd., has officially concluded its mission to build the nation's first circular economy for end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Launched in November 2020 with funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), Recovas brought together automakers, recyclers, academics, and policymakers to address the growing challenge of sustainably managing decommissioned EV batteries.

At the project’s final event on May 7, held at EMR’s newly commissioned battery recycling facility in Birmingham, participants highlighted key technological and operational achievements that will serve as a foundation for the UK’s battery recycling ecosystem.

Key Recovas Achievements

• EMR’s Birmingham plant, capable of recycling 2,000 tons of EV batteries annually, now employs 14 full-time staff.
• BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, and Bentley collaborated to issue design guidelines for EVs that prioritize future reuse and recycling.
• Autocraft Drivetrain Solutions developed mobile triage, remanufacturing, and testing systems for end-of-life batteries.
• Connected Energy validated the commercial viability of utility-scale energy storage using second-life EV batteries.
• WMG at the University of Warwick advanced lithium and critical metal recovery processes from battery black mass.
• UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) delivered lifecycle and economic modeling to guide sustainable design.
• Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provided safety protocols for battery dismantling and hazardous material handling.

“Recovas has propelled UK EV battery recycling from concept into reality in just four years,” said Alexander Thompson, innovation project manager at EMR. He added that “the legacy of the project lives on in the partnerships it formed.”

According to Prof. David Greenwood of WMG, the project also strengthened academic-industry cooperation in advancing critical material recovery and battery safety practices. UKBIC emphasized that its lifecycle models take a “cradle-to-cradle” approach, offering manufacturers data for greener design and production decisions.

The project’s success was recognized on May 1, when Recovas won the 2025 Resource and Waste Management Partnership of the Year at the LetsRecycle.com Awards for Excellence.