Chief commercial officer at SK tes, Eric Ingebretsen, said: “SK tes believes that circularity is vital for developing resource efficient electric vehicles and sustainable technologies.
“The partnership with BMW Group underscores our shared mission to keep materials in circulation and ensure resources are maximised to their full potential.”
SK tes has a background in extracting salvageable material from high-voltage batteries to be reintroduced into the value chain for the manufacture of new batteries.
The BMW Group will be directly involved in the process by providing feedback to the team at SK tes as the project is developed.
The recycling process at SK tes sees high-voltage batteries discharged, disassembled and mechanically shredded before going through a separation process to extract a concentrated material called black mass.
Commodity materials such as nickel, lithium and cobalt are then extracted through a hydrometallurgy process.
The secondary raw materials will be used to produce new batteries, including the GEN 6 drive train providing a closed loop solution for BMW Group.
Joao Avelar, director of battery operations, added: “Through this collaboration we’re not only providing recycling solutions, we’re working in partnership to provide valuable design insights as well as supplying secondary materials into the value chain, closing the loop, and making a lasting impact.”
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