EV battery supplier InoBat Auto and mineral processing firm Green Lithium are in talks to build and operate the first large-scale commercial lithium refinery in the UK, have agreed a strategic partnership.
The partnership will see Green Lithium supply InoBat with battery-grade lithium chemicals. In pursuit of their shared sustainability ambitions, the partners are coming together to diversify and secure the European supply of low-carbon battery-grade lithium chemicals critical for the production of EV batteries in the region.
Both the companies realise that battery manufacturing is only sustainable if it covers the whole life cycle of batteries, from mining to recycling. To support this endeavour, the companies claim to accelerate the development of a 'cradle-to-cradle' UK battery value chain, from the provision of low-carbon lithium chemicals all the way through to the recycling of batteries.
Marian Bocek, Co-Founder and CEO of InoBat Auto commented, "InoBat and Green Lithium share ambitions for a greener world and this agreement is an important step forward in our journey towards net zero".
"In partnership with Green Lithium, we will accelerate the global rollout of green battery technology using low-carbon, battery-grade lithium hydroxide to create, what we believe, to be the most innovative and advanced batteries on the market", he added.
Sharing a similar feeling, Sean Sargent, CEO of Green Lithium said, "Green Lithium's mission is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and sustainable energy storage by increasing the supply of low-carbon battery-grade lithium chemicals".
He further added, "Achieving this mission requires the right partners. In InoBat, we have found an organisation with whom we will not only have a commercial supplier relationship, but one with whom we can work together as part of a wider partnership to create a sustainable battery supply chain and further our shared sustainability ambitions".
The partnership will also see InoBat and Green Lithium collaborate in working with the relevant government authorities in the UK and the EU to achieve their strategic business goals, including InoBat's ambition to expand its presence in the UK and develop a network of giga factories across Western Europe during 2024.