#USA #CATL #EV Batteries #Davos #Ellen MacArthur Foundation

In an effort to revolutionize the electric vehicle (EV) sector, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched a transformative white paper titled "Leading The Charge: Turning Risk into Reward with a Circular Economy for EV Batteries and Critical Minerals." This document was unveiled at the 2026 World Economic Forum, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of sustainable battery practices. As the global market for EVs expands, the importance of designing batteries for a circular economy has never been more critical. The white paper serves as the first comprehensive roadmap for establishing a circular value chain for EV batteries, based on real-world industrial practices and extensive collaboration with over 30 leading organizations in the battery ecosystem, including DHL, Volvo, and JLR, as well as various research and non-governmental institutions. The key objective of the white paper is to provide detailed guidance on how the design, usage, recycling, and reintegration of EV batteries can be optimized to maximize value while minimizing systemic risks throughout the value chain. This approach underscores CATL's commitment to sustainability and positions the company as a foundational strategic partner in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Critical Minerals Mission. One of the core tenets of the white paper is that by maintaining batteries and their critical minerals in operation across multiple life cycles, demand for newly mined materials decreases, resulting in lower emissions and better resource management. The integration of renewable energy sources is also facilitated, enhancing overall economic efficiency through improved material utilization and cost reduction in operational and waste management. In addition to these environmental advantages, a robust circular battery system can contribute to increased economic value by creating new revenue streams while promoting equitable distribution of economic benefits across regions. The paper identifies five interconnected actions necessary to attain high-value material usage in battery systems: 1. Designing batteries with circularity in mind, avoiding disposal; 2. Reassessing battery servicing within optimized energy and mobility systems; 3. Expanding circular business models that treat batteries as long-term assets; 4. Developing and co-investing in regional circular infrastructure; 5. Facilitating a circular operational system through data, standards, and policies. CATL is already implementing these strategies at a systemic level across its operations. By separating the battery from the vehicle, CATL treats these batteries as centrally managed assets, enhancing their utilization and ensuring predictable returns at the end of their use. Currently, CATL operates over 1,000 battery swapping stations for personal vehicles and more than 300 for commercial vehicles, supported by a growing ecosystem of over 100 partners. This systemic integration enables large-scale, high-quality recycling, with CATL's operations achieving a recovery rate of 99.6% for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and 96.5% for lithium. Furthermore, CATL is exploring alternative chemical processes, such as sodium-ion batteries, which utilize readily available materials and can reduce carbon emissions during the life cycle by up to 60%. During the briefing with CATL executives, Jiang Li, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Board at CATL, highlighted the document as a significant milestone on the global journey towards a circular economy for batteries. As the adoption of electric vehicles continues to rise, embracing circular systems for batteries and critical minerals is no longer optional but a necessity for affordability, resilience, and sustainable growth. Wen-Yu Weng, Executive Director for Critical Minerals at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, reinforced that EV batteries represent strategic assets, and circular approaches are essential to preserving their value while ensuring that critical minerals never become waste. The collaboration between CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation aims to accelerate the circular usage of critical minerals, with the next phase focusing on real-world stress testing of these approaches to understand how design cycles, usage, lifespan extension, collection, and recycling function collectively on a larger scale. This groundbreaking initiative not only supports CATL's path to carbon neutrality by aiming for carbon neutrality across all battery manufacturing plants and throughout the entire value chain by 2035, but it sets the stage for a broader transformation in the battery industry. As industries move towards a more sustainable future, the insights gained from this white paper will be instrumental in guiding the development of effective circular battery systems that contribute significantly to the shift towards renewable energy and sustainable mobility.