Battery recycling is important in the evaluation of critical minerals

Dr. Serdar Gökpınar, Director of Innovative Technology Programs at the Technology Development Foundation of Türkiye (TTGV), said that recycling electric car batteries and making the critical minerals inside them reusable is important for achieving energy independence.

According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), 17.3 million electric cars were produced worldwide in 2024, an increase of approximately 25 percent compared to the previous year.

12.4 million electric vehicles were produced in China, where 70 percent of global production took place, 2.4 million in EU countries and 1.1 million in the USA.

Electric car use is increasing in Türkiye, as it is globally. The number of registered electric cars rose by approximately 120.6% year-over-year, reaching 289,457 by the end of July.

Recycling electric car batteries is important because it allows for the reuse of critical minerals within them.

According to the preliminary research report on "Battery Recycling and Secondary Use Technologies" published by the Technology Development Foundation of Türkiye (TTGV), investments in battery production facilities in Türkiye have exceeded $1 billion.

"China is an important actor in mineral processing as well as in mineral assets."

TTGV Innovative Technology Programs Director Dr. Serdar Gökpınar said that batteries have been used extensively in energy storage systems, especially in electric vehicles, recently.

Gökpınar stated that there are two main challenges in the battery production process, saying, "The first is the availability of qualified materials such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper, and aluminum, needed for batteries and batteries used both today and for those being developed for future use. The second is the precision of the production processes."

Gökpınar, who shared the information that Australia, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina are the leading countries with lithium reserves, said, "This mineral also exists in our country in a certain amount, but based on current findings, it does not seem to meet all of our needs."

Gökpınar stated that the Democratic Republic of Congo stands out in cobalt reserves, meeting a large portion of the world's cobalt demand with an average of 60% of its mineral reserves. Pointing out that China, in addition to its mineral resources, is also a significant player in mineral processing, Gökpınar emphasized that minerals must be processed to high purity and high quality, and that countries like the US and China leverage their advanced technology in this area.

Reserves raise alarm for post-2035

Gökpınar stated that as reserves dwindle, lithium and copper mining will become more difficult by 2035, and pointed out that this need could be met through battery recycling.

Gökpınar, who mentioned that China and the EU are important actors in battery recycling, continued:

When Chinese-made electric vehicles entered the European market, the Chinese said, "You use these vehicles, but the batteries are ours." Negotiations are currently underway on this issue. Because when you collect these batteries together, they actually become a mine. The European Union is moving in two directions. First, they are making efforts to ensure that these batteries remain within the EU, which we perhaps should do as well. Second, they are issuing regulations requiring the use of recycled materials in battery production at certain rates by 2031 and increasing rates by 2036. For example, the recycled lithium ratio in lithium-ion batteries is expected to be 6 percent in 2031 and 12 percent in 2036.

Gökpınar stated that the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) has taken steps towards battery recycling in Türkiye, and that these should be supported by regulations and policies.

Gökpınar, who stated that TTGV is conducting in-depth research on the subject, stated that they will support some projects in this context.

Gökpınar concluded his remarks as follows:

"Battery recycling is particularly valuable because we lack certain minerals, and therefore, every step taken in the energy sector is valuable for our country. This issue is strategically important for our energy independence and because a significant portion of our current account deficit comes from energy. We consider these efforts valuable for alleviating, or even eliminating, this deficit."