#London #United Kingdom #circular economy #CATL #Ellen MacArthur

CATL and Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Pioneering Circular Battery Futures

During the London Climate Action Week, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced their shared commitment to accelerate the transition towards a circular battery economy. This partnership signifies a pivotal moment for the global battery system, advocating for a production model that separates new battery creation from the reliance on primary raw materials.

A New Direction in Battery Production

The collaboration aims to forge a future where accessibility, sustainability, and ecological responsibility converge. Jiang Li, Vice President of CATL, emphasized that the circular economy reveals promising economic opportunities while enhancing environmental and social values. CATL's initiative is not merely academic; by 2040, the anticipated market for battery recycling could surpass 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately 165 billion USD), potentially generating over 10 million jobs, many in developing economies.

Guiding Principles for Transformation

To steer this transformation effectively, CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have outlined four core principles derived from the foundation's circular economy framework:

1. Reconceptualizing Systems: A circular battery economy demands a systemic overhaul of the battery ecosystem. By embedding circular principles at every stage of the value chain, it is possible to sustain low-carbon growth while minimizing waste. This principle underscores the necessity of optimizing the structure and interactions within the value chain to ensure resources are used more effectively and sustainably.

2. Designing for Circularity: Circularity must begin at the design stage. Batteries should be engineered for longevity, easy disassembly, and reuse, incorporating modular architectures and durable components. Designing with reuse and recycling in mind ensures that products maintain value longer and can be recovered more effectively at the end of their life cycle.

3. Reinventing Business Models: New business models are crucial for decoupling resource use from economic growth. By transitioning from traditional ownership models to shared, service-based, or secondary models, batteries can provide greater utility and accessibility for users. This principle supports the establishment of economically viable pathways for scaling circularity.

4. Recycling Materials Efficiently: Achieving circularity necessitates a high-performance recycling system capable of effectively reclaiming materials with high value. This increases the share of closed-loop recycling, thereby reducing dependency on primary resources and fostering more resilient, safe, and low-impact supply chains for critical materials.

Practical Applications of the Principles

Jiang Li also showcased real-world applications of these principles at CATL. The company has implemented a carbon chain management system to facilitate decarbonization across the battery value chain. In product design, CATL has significantly extended battery life, with current batteries reaching up to 18,000 cycles, reducing both material demand and emissions.

Moreover, CATL plans to deploy over 10,000 battery-swapping stations to enhance battery efficiency and facilitate large-scale retrieval of decommissioned batteries. In the recycling sector, CATL currently operates the world’s largest battery return network, having recycled about 130,000 tons of expired batteries in 2024, recovering 17,000 tons of lithium salts.

Global Commitment to Circular Energy

To broaden the practical application of this vision, CATL is advancing the Global Commitment to Circular Energy (GECC), initiated in March. This open global platform enables stakeholders from industry, cities, and academia to collaboratively test circular economy solutions in real-world scenarios. CATL aims to collaborate with players across the value chain to explore and share ideas that amplify impact, stating that such collective efforts are vital for creating a sustainable and eco-friendly battery ecosystem.

Looking Ahead

The joint ambition shared by CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation signifies the beginning of meaningful collaboration, transparency, and innovative systems thinking within the global battery landscape. As the partners continue to engage with both governmental and private entities, the foundational ideas presented promise to evolve and expand.

Jiang Li articulated, "The circular battery system will not be constructed within labs or boardrooms; it will be shaped through collaborative efforts, testing, and shared endeavors. This ambition serves as a signal to propel this work forward, demanding global cooperation, inter-industry learning, and open participation throughout the value chain, principles that have long been advocated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation."