Altilium has secured £18.5m in grant funding through the UK government’s DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund, delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK and Innovate UK.
The Plymouth-based firm specialises in battery recycling through its EcoCathode process, which converts end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and manufacturing scrap into battery precursors, cathode active materials (CAM) and precursor cathode materials (pCAM) for reuse in new batteries.
The funding will support the development of Altilium’s ACT3 recycling facility in Plymouth — set to become the UK’s first commercial refinery dedicated to recovering critical battery materials from end-of-life EV batteries.
Once operational, the ACT3 plant will be capable of processing up to 24,000 EV batteries annually, producing key materials such as nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), lithium sulphate and graphite — all essential for next-generation battery manufacturing.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with commissioning targeted for the end of 2027. The expansion is also set to create around 70 new jobs in Plymouth, supporting the UK’s growing battery and clean energy supply chain.
“By scaling our recycling technology and building the UK’s first commercial facility of its kind, we are closing the loop on battery materials and enhancing the growth, productivity and competitiveness of the UK automotive supply chain,” says Christian Marston, COO at Altilium.
