Recycling: Versalis to Launch Chemical Recycling in Italy; LG Energy/Toyota Tsusho Form Joint Venture for Battery Recycling in the US
Italy’s Versalis, a chemical company under Eni, has introduced a demonstration plant at its Mantua site, featuring a new proprietary technology called Hoop for the chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste. This innovative technology is designed to complement mechanical recycling by converting mixed plastic waste into feedstock, which can then be used to produce new plastic materials suitable for various applications, including food contact and pharmaceutical packaging.
Hoop was developed in collaboration with the Italian engineering firm S.R.S. (Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo). The project combines a high-performance pyrolysis reactor with Versalis’s expertise in polymer property analysis and the optimization of production processes through Artificial Intelligence systems. Construction of the Hoop demonstration plant, which spans approximately 5,000 square meters within the Mantua site, began in late October 2023. The facility has the capacity to process 6,000 tonnes of secondary raw material annually and aims to validate the technology on an industrial scale.
As part of the Eni-Versalis Chemical Transformation Plan, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in March with the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) for the construction of a 40,000-tonne facility at the Priolo site in Sicily. The feasibility study for this facility has been completed, and the design phase is currently underway to begin the permitting process.
The SC-HOOP project, which focuses on the realization of the demo plant based on Hoop technology in Mantua, is noteworthy as it is the only large-scale project from Italy to receive funding from the 2023 EU Innovation Fund, out of 239 proposals submitted, with only 41 selected.
In related news, LG Energy Solution and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have established a joint venture named Green Metals Battery Innovations, focused on battery recycling. Under the agreement signed by LG Energy Solution Michigan and Toyota Tsusho America, the two companies plan to build and operate a pre-processing plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. This new facility will perform pre-processing operations to extract black mass, which contains valuable raw metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium, by dismantling and shredding battery production scrap.
During the initial phase of the joint venture, LG Energy Solution will supply scrap generated from the production of electric vehicle batteries for Toyota Motor. The facility is set to begin operations in 2026, with a target annual processing capacity of 13,500 tonnes of scrap, which is equivalent to over 40,000 automotive batteries. The extracted black mass will subsequently undergo a separate post-processing stage to recover the raw materials contained within.
This joint venture aims to establish a closed-loop battery-to-battery system where these raw materials are recycled for new battery materials, promoting a true circular economy within the battery supply chain. The collaboration between LG Energy Solution and the Toyota Group is focused on reducing carbon emissions through circular economy initiatives. By partnering with a leading battery recycler that possesses advanced pre-processing technologies and operational expertise, LG Energy Solution aims to create a competitive recycling infrastructure in the region.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/versalis-launches-chemical-recycling-facility-in-italy-lg-energy-and-toyota-tsusho-form-joint-venture-for-battery-recycling-in-the-us/
