This Singapore Plant is Recycling Lithium Batteries Using Fruit Peel

A remarkable development in the field of battery recycling has been made by a Singaporean plant, which is recycling lithium batteries using fruit peel solvents.

This innovative process involves mixing shredded batteries with solvents derived from fruit peels. This unique concoction is then used to extract precious metals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, from the old batteries. These metals can be reused in making new batteries, thus making the process both eco-friendly and cost-effective.

The process for recycling lithium batteries was invented by scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is highly efficient, recovering more than 90% of the metals from the shredded batteries. The pilot plant has the capacity to handle up to 2,000 liters of shredded batteries at a time. The scientists are now working to optimize the process so that it can be used on a commercial scale.

Lithium-ion batteries are on the rise, as they play a crucial role in the energy transition. However, the increasing use of these batteries poses significant environmental problems. Currently, only 5% of the used lithium-ion batteries are recycled globally, leaving significant waste. Lithium, being a scarce and expensive resource, makes mining new material costly. The discarded batteries may also leach toxic chemicals into the soil and waterways, thus causing environmental damage.

The use of fruit peel solvents to extract the metals from the batteries is a game-changer, and it is hoped that this will encourage more research into recycling lithium batteries.