Orbia secures £1.4m for EV battery graphite recycling pilot

Orbia has received £1.4m in funding from the Government’s DRIVE35 programme for an electric vehicle (EV) graphite recycling pilot.

The project aims to help reduce reliance on overseas supply chains, particularly the reliance on China, which supplies 95% of the world’s graphite.

It will operate at kilogram-scale, serving as the foundation for a future large-scale plant.

The project is currently in the planning stage, while installation and initial product output is expected to begin in late 2026.

John Jaddou, global director of new business development at Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, said: “This investment marks a significant milestone in enabling a huge step toward building a domestic, circular supply chain for battery materials and supporting the UK’s transition to a more sustainable, zero-emission future. 

“It also lays the foundation for the creation of highly skilled jobs that are critical to electrified mobility, circularity and long‑term decarbonisation. 

“By leveraging decades of industrial and process expertise in complex fluorine-based chemistries at scale, Orbia is uniquely positioned to demonstrate that graphite recovery can be both technically robust and commercially feasible, laying the groundwork for a future industrial scale facility.”

Ian Constance, CEO at Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), said: “The projects announced demonstrate the UK’s determination to lead the shift to zero-emission mobility.