POSCO Launches State-of-the-Art Battery Recycling Plant, Innovating Sustainable Materials Recovery

POSCO Holdings, partnering with China Huayu Cobalt and GS Energy, unveils the revolutionary POSCO HY Clean Metal, a secondary battery recycling plant. Processing 12,000 tons of black powder yearly, the facility substantially recovers valuable metals and contributes to an eco-friendly resource circulation system.

The plant can process an impressive 12,000 tons of black powder annually and recover substantial quantities of valuable metals. Specifically, it can extract 2,500 tons of nickel, 800 tons of cobalt, and 2,500 tons of lithium carbonate. This black powder, derived from crushing and selectively collecting waste batteries, is a crucial raw material for secondary battery production.

To ensure a sustainable supply of black powder, POSCO Holdings established the Poland Legnica Sourcing Center (PLSC) in August of last year. Operating in Poland, the PLSC crushes secondary battery scrap and waste batteries to produce this valuable black powder. The powder is then supplied to the POSCO HY Clean Metal recycling plant located in the Yulchon Industrial Complex, South Jeolla Province.

What sets HY Clean Metal apart is its innovative process technologies, which maximize the recovery rate of raw materials for secondary battery production. Additionally, the company is committed to minimizing waste generation by converting by-products such as copper and sodium sulfate into useful products.

The materials produced by HY Clean Metal will be supplied to the POSCO Future M cathode material plant, also located within the Yulchon Industrial Complex. This strategic integration enhances the raw material sourcing competitiveness of POSCO Group's secondary battery materials business.

POSCO Holdings aims to create an environmentally friendly resource circulation system by establishing this advanced battery recycling plant. The company can recover valuable raw metals by recycling scrap and waste batteries, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and overall costs.

According to Choi Jeong-woo, Chairman of POSCO Group, they are committed to the continuous development of POSCO Group as a global leader in the secondary battery materials industry through investments in cathode materials, anode materials, lithium, and recycling. This completion marks a significant step towards achieving a sustainable and eco-friendly future in the battery industry.

Photo: POSCO Newsroom