Green Science Alliance opens Swiss battery recycling lab

The Japanese chemical and greentech firm has opened a battery recycling laboratory at the Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB) in the canton of Bern. In collaboration with the Swiss Battery Technology Center, the company aims to recover cathode material from used lithium-ion batteries, which can be directly reused in new cells. The detour via individual metals is to be eliminated.

The lab was inaugurated on Monday, attended by GSA CEO Ryohei Mori and SBTC Director Christian Ochsenbein. Headquartered in Kawanishi, Japan, GSA specialises in areas such as quantum dots, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and deep eutectic solvents. Biel is set to serve as the company’s gateway to the European market. SBTC, for its part, covers material analysis, electrode manufacturing, battery cell development and testing, as well as recycling.

Black mass as a raw material

The focus is on so-called black mass. When end-of-life batteries are shredded and mechanically processed, a dark powder remains. This contains the active materials that store and release energy within the cell. In conventional recycling, individual metals such as lithium, nickel or cobalt are extracted using acids or alkalis. Several additional processing steps are then required to produce cathode material again. The variability of black mass – depending on cell chemistry, battery age and processing method – is being examined in the SHERLOCK research project, which aims to develop quality standards for black mass.

GSA aims to shorten this chain. Instead of breaking down the cathode material from the black mass into its constituent elements, the company reprocesses the material and reuses it directly. Experts refer to this as direct recycling. This approach is intended to save processing steps and resources. If successful, the production of new batteries would require fewer newly mined raw materials. However, the partners have not disclosed the exact details of the process.

Initial results are already available: batteries with regenerated cathode material from GSA achieved over 90 per cent of the initial capacity of comparable batteries with commercial-grade material. While this sounds promising, it is a laboratory figure provided by the participants. Details on the number of charge cycles, cell format or independent measurements are lacking. The technology is being developed for nickel-manganese-cobalt and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. For LFP cells in particular, a cost-effective method is crucial, as they contain neither nickel nor cobalt, making the recovery of individual metals far less economically viable.

A feasibility study

The division of labour in Biel is clearly defined: GSA contributes its recycling technology, while SBTC – one of four applied research centres of SIPBB – provides expertise, infrastructure and laboratory space. Together, the partners will examine the processed materials, build electrodes and cells from them, and conduct tests. The ultimate goal is to assess whether the process can be scaled up industrially.

Public funding remains modest so far. The first phase is being financed through an Innovation Cheque from the Swiss funding agency Innosuisse. This covers the costs of a Swiss research partner up to 15,000 Swiss francs (approximately €16,200 euros) and is intended for feasibility studies that must be completed within six months. The partners themselves describe it as the first step towards joint research.

Europe needs recycled materials

The demand is clear. The EU Battery Regulation mandates higher recovery rates for lithium, nickel and cobalt and, from August 2031, minimum proportions of recycled materials in new vehicle batteries. However, recycling remains economically challenging: according to the EU’s Safeloop study, losses currently amount to around €1.90 euros per kilogram of battery pack. Processes with fewer steps could provide a solution. The partners argue that, on a large scale, their method would also reduce dependence on newly mined raw materials and make European battery supply chains more resilient.

Research institutions are also seeking partners across borders. For example, the Fraunhofer FFB in Münster signed letters of intent with South Korean partners in early October, covering topics such as recycling and the implementation of the EU Battery Regulation. GSA intends to use SIPBB’s network to transition its technology from the lab to industry. Whether the 90 per cent performance can also be achieved with larger quantities remains to be seen.