black mass

The plant is Li-Cycle's first in Europe and will anchor the company's plans to replicate its North American hub-and-spoke network, in which multiple collection and processing facilities turn batteries into black mass, which is essentially shredded battery parts, and then supply a central recycling plant that will separate the material into lithium, nickel and other metals.

Collectively, the three will feed black mass to an Italian recycling plant that is expected to open by late 2026 or early 2027.

Until the Italian facility opens, Li-Cycle will send black mass produced in Europe to its North American processing facility in New York.

In Europe, EV batteries are currently shredded into "black mass" that is shipped to China for recycling.

The race is on to squeeze the best price out of that black mass.