Panasonic targets 20% recycled cathode material in lithium EV batteries

Apr 02, 2025

The company aims to use 20% recycled cathode material in its automotive batteries by 2030.

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Mrigakshi Dixit

Representational image of EV battery.

iStock

Lithium-ion batteries contain nickel, cobalt, and lithium – valuable resources that play a major role in powering electric vehicles.

Mining has been the typical method for obtaining these metals, but this process carries a high environmental cost. Fortunately, there’s a more sustainable alternative.

In a collaborative effort, Panasonic Energy and Sumitomo Metal Mining, a specialist in non-ferrous metal recycling, are working on a closed-loop battery recycling program.

This initiative focuses on the recycling of nickel from lithium-ion battery cathodes.

The obtained nickel sulfate will then be used to create new cathode materials, which will be used in Panasonic Energy’s lithium-ion batteries to complete the cycle. This recycling process, which directly reuses battery materials, fosters a sustainable circular economy.

“This marks the first closed-loop recycling initiative—where end-of-life products are reprocessed into raw materials and reused in the same type of product— in the production of automotive batteries by Panasonic Energy,” the company stated in the press release.

Battery scrap from Panasonic Energy’s Osaka factory in Japan will be the starting point.

Sumitomo Metal Mining will extract nickel from this scrap, transforming it into high-quality nickel sulfate for lithium-ion battery cathode.

When a battery powers a device, lithium ions travel from the negative anode to the positive cathode. The cathode material directly affects the battery’s performance, specifically its energy storage capacity and stability.

As EV adoption increases, a surge in end-of-life batteries is expected around 2030. To sustain the growing EV market, recycling is essential due to the limited availability of refined nickel, cobalt, and lithium used in their batteries.

“Building a sustainable recycling scheme for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries is crucial for the future expansion of EVs,” said Kazuo Tadanobu, CEO of Panasonic Energy.

After nickel recovery, the recycling initiative aims to expand to lithium and cobalt by 2026. The company aims to use 20% recycled cathode material in its automotive batteries by 2030.

This “urban mining” approach lowers carbon dioxide emissions and aligns with Panasonic’s goal to halve its carbon footprint by the fiscal year 2031.

The initiative marks a major step towards a circular economy by establishing a closed-loop “battery-to-battery” recycling process. This creates a self-sustaining cycle where resources are continuously looped back into the production process to reduce waste and the need for raw material extraction.

“We are advancing initiatives in both Japan and the U.S., and through the partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining, with its deep expertise in non-ferrous metal recycling, we are accelerating our efforts toward realizing a circular economy. This collaboration supports our mission of fostering a sustainable society,” Tadanobu added in the press release.

Sumitomo, a Japan-based battery manufacturing company, has established experience in recycling copper and nickel from lithium-ion batteries since 2017.

Various companies have been working to make the best of used lithium-ion batteries for a sustainable future.

For instance, a US-based company, Re/cell, recently announced the development of lithium-ion blocks made from recycled Tesla EV batteries.

Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.

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