Cost-effective and sustainable strategies for recycling electric vehicle truck batteries in Finland

Abstract

This thesis considers two cost-effective and environmentally sustainable recycling approaches to the batteries of electric vehicles (EV) trucks in Finland based on the EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542). Large batteries of EVs are special challenges because of their mass, non-homogeneous form, and challenging logistics. The method of qualitative research was adopted, incorporating the interviews with experts, the review of regulatory documents and the literature about the industry. Results indicate that there is a high agreement that mechanical pre-treatment with subsequent hydrometallurgical refining is the most viable pathway of recycling batteries in Finland. Hydrometallurgy has high levels of recovery of important materials and also Finland has low-carbon electricity which means that it has low emissions as opposed to other processes. Direct recycling is known to possess limited use because of the combined chemistries and different circumstances of the end-of-life truck batteries. Logistics and infrastructure are presented as significant cost drivers, as Finland has a long transport distance and little capacity to dismantle regions. The creation of pre-treatment hubs that are decentralized would drastically decrease the hazardous-goods movement, level off the feedstock and enhance the cost as well as environmental performance. The regulatory drivers, like required quotas of recycled content and the digital battery passport, do not only help in the development of the market in the long run but also add to administrative burden.