Climate Change Data

American Battery Technology Company

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2022)

Reporting Period: 2022

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

  • Circular Economy
  • Resource Sustainability
  • Domestic Supply Chain Development
  • Environmental Protection

Environmental Achievements

  • Developed a high-recovery battery recycling process that avoids high-temperature operations and significantly reduces chemical reagent consumption, resulting in lower operating costs and a smaller environmental footprint compared to conventional methods.
  • Secured a $4.5M grant for a project focused on demonstrating a selective leaching technology for lithium extraction from claystone resources, aiming to reduce cost and environmental impact.

Social Achievements

  • Won the BASF Circularity Challenge, gaining access to resources and expertise to further develop their recycling technology.
  • Received a $2M grant from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium to develop a value-driven, self-sustaining model for large-format lithium-ion battery recycling.
  • Created a pilot plant in Fernley, NV, providing jobs and economic opportunities in the region.

Governance Achievements

  • Established partnerships with industry leaders such as BASF, DuPont, USDOE, US Automakers, and the Critical Materials Institute.

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Become a major domestic supplier of battery metals, strengthening the US supply chain.
Medium-term Goals:
  • Expand recycling capacity to 120,000 MT/year and beyond.
  • Produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide from domestic claystone resources.
Short-term Goals:
  • Ramp up operations at the 20,000 MT/year lithium-ion battery recycling pilot plant in Fernley, NV in 2023.

Environmental Challenges

  • High dependence of the US on foreign production of critical materials for batteries.
  • Commercialization challenges for many prospective lithium resources within the US.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Developing domestic lithium extraction and battery recycling technologies to reduce reliance on foreign imports.
  • Securing offtake agreements with battery aggregators and black mass traders to guarantee feedstock for their recycling plants.
  • Building a pilot plant and pursuing government grants to de-risk the project and prove the technology's viability.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement
  • Partnerships with industry leaders and securing offtake agreements.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Opportunities
  • Development of energy-efficient battery recycling and lithium extraction technologies.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure)
  • SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action)

ABTC's technologies contribute to these goals by promoting sustainable battery recycling, developing domestic sources of critical minerals, and reducing reliance on foreign imports.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • High-recovery battery recycling process
  • Sustainable lithium extraction process

Awards & Recognition

  • BASF Circularity Challenge
  • United States Advanced Battery Consortium grant