As part of the agreement, Fortum will supply high-quality recycled graphite concentrate from its hydrometallurgical plant located in Harjavalta, Finland. The two companies will jointly work on optimizing this recycled graphite for commercial-scale anode production at Vianode and will also assess its performance in advanced battery applications.
Dr. Stefan Bergold, Chief Commercial Officer at Vianode, stated: “Recycling graphite from end-of-life batteries is vital to reduce dependence on virgin raw materials, lower carbon emissions, and build sustainable supply chains. Access to recycled graphite concentrate with potential to scale volumes over time will support Vianode’s ambition to deliver high-quality anode materials with an industry-leading CO? footprint below 1 kilogram CO?e per kilogram of graphite by 2030.”
Graphite is the largest component in lithium-ion batteries by weight, making up approximately 70 kilograms per EV. Vianode aims to integrate recycled graphite into its production to advance the development of high-performance, low-carbon anode materials.
Tero Holländer, Head of Business Line, Batteries, at Fortum Recycling & Waste, said: “Fortum Battery Recycling and Vianode have a shared commitment to a more sustainable and less resource-intensive EV battery industry. By recovering valuable and critical graphite from used batteries and returning it to the cycle as battery-grade material, we help enable the production of new lithium-ion batteries with a significantly lower environmental footprint.”
Vianode has recently introduced its first high-performance anode material derived from recycled graphite, furthering its strategy to become a leader in sustainable graphite production and contribute to a circular battery value chain across North America and Europe.
Looking ahead to 2030, the European market is expected to see a notable increase in battery recycling, driven by the retirement of the first generation of EVs and reinforced by upcoming EU regulations that mandate higher recovery rates and the use of recycled content in new batteries.
Through this collaboration, Vianode and Fortum aim to strengthen local supply chains, reduce environmental impact, and support the transition to a more resource-efficient battery manufacturing industry.
