Anglo joins with GEM on EV battery technology

Anglo American has launched a research & development (R&D) project in partnership with one of China’s largest battery and battery material recyclers, GEM.

The R&D project aims to explore new and more efficient technologies for the use of existing and alternative raw materials to be used in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

“Our diversified portfolio includes a range of products critical to the long-term decarbonisation of transport — a sector estimated to account for over 15% of global emissions,” said Paul Ward, executive head of base metals marketing at Anglo.

“We are collaborating with leaders in the sector to explore new technologies that build on the physical qualities of our portfolio of products to help tackle some of the key challenges facing the industry and contribute to the sustainable scale-up of EV travel.”

The project will focus on jointly developing metal dissolving technologies, using metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese, to facilitate a more efficient use of battery materials, from either mined or recycled routes, with the intention of improving existing processes as well as exploring the use of new materials not used now in the battery value chain.

“We have over two decades of experience in recycling batteries and electronics and have invested heavily in understanding the processes needed to recover raw materials essential for the energy transition,” said Xu Kaihua, founder and chair of GEM.

“This collaboration marks an important step for us, as we seek to drive synergies with industry leaders such as Anglo American that participate in the critical raw materials value chain and share our commitment to advancing technological development to shape a more sustainable future for the transport sector.”

EVs are more environmentally friendly relative to the traditional combustion engines but are yet to reach critical mass in terms of sales volumes across many countries. However, a penetration level was much higher in countries such as China and the US.

For Anglo, the partnership with GEM forms part of the broader vision of becoming carbon neutral by 2040.

Anglo, like the rest of its global peers, is under pressure from investors, regulators and environmentalists to wean its operations off the environmentally damaging fossil fuels. But the global mining titan with deep SA roots also possesses green metals that are crucial to decarbonise the world.

Anglo American has also been an early supporter of the hydrogen economy, advocating more widespread adoption of fuel cell EVs.

THE PARTNERSHIP IS PART OF ANGLO’S BROADER VISION OF BECOMING CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2040