Germany – The Institute for Technologies and Economics of Lithium (ITEL) was formed in Halle a der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt, by Rock Tech Lithium, GP Papenburg Entsorgung Ost GmbH, and Knauf KG.
The institute’s goal is to shape Germany’s interdisciplinary, CO2-neutral lithium recycling industry. With the transition to electromobility, Germany will become the European battery production hub, as well as the source of the critical precursor lithium hydroxide. The institute’s work is focused on the reduction and reuse of byproducts generated during the refinement of lithium. Another area of emphasis is the development of novel production stages to maximize by-product value creation.
The institute is divided into three departments: In addition to the “Material Economics” department, which is largely concerned with byproduct value generation, the “Green Hydrogen” department is concerned with CO2-neutral production, and the “Recycling and Resources” department is concerned with optimizing refinery processes.
