Hyundai to setup new EV battery recycling system in South Korea

Hyundai has announced building a battery recycling management system for electric vehicles (EV) on Jeju Island in South Korea. This system aims to cover used batteries recovery and recycling and create a circular economy foundation in the region.

Hyundai has signed an MOU with Jeju Island and Jeju Techno Park (TP) to revitalize the battery industry for EVs. The MOU was signed on May 14th by Hyundai Glovis CEO Lee Kyu-Bok, Jeju governor Oh Youg-hoon, and Jeju TP Director Moon Yong-Seok.

The agreement enables Hyundai to commercialize the recycling and reuse of batteries generated from used EVs on Jeju Island. The first aim in this direction includes the transportation of batteries subject to return.

Under South Korea’s Article 58 (Low-emission Vehicle Operation) of the Air Quality Conservation Act, customers who purchase EVs with government subsidies must return their batteries to the local government when the vehicle’s registration is canceled.

Jeju Island hosts 21,000 registered EVs before the end of 2020, some of these have reutered their batteries, stored at Jeju TP. The number of registered has exceeded now more than 2020. Along with that, the government expects the volume of returned batteries to increase in the near future.

Hyundai Glovis is placing batteries in a battery-specific recovery container after using its self-developed EV and transports them to the mainland on an operating ship. This procedure will be followed until an operational battery recycling infrastructure is completed.

The recovery container is designed to contain batteries in multiple layers and send them all together for high efficiency and safety. Once transported, batteries will be pre-processed at recycling bases in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do plant. Pretreatment is a process that physically discharges the power remaining in the battery after use.

The process dismantles the battery and removes impurities to produce black powder to separate cathode material. Hyundai has also planned to introduce post-use battery pretreatment facilities for the time on Jeju island. This will enable the battery to be recycled on the island without requiring transportation.

(source)