2. Recycling lithium-ion batteries

2.1 Strategic challenges for lithium-ion battery recycling in Europe

Fifteen years ago, Europe realized that its supply of mineral raw materials was highly dependent on China, particularly when it came to supplying energy transition metals such as rare earths and graphite, for which China has a monopoly. China is also a major player in the metals needed to produce lithium-ion batteries, even though it does not produce cobalt, manganese, lithium and nickel. The cobalt concentrate produced mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo travels thousands of kilometers before being processed in China to produce a cobalt sulfate pure enough to be used in the manufacture of materials for lithium-ion batteries