Lithium Salvage Secures £1.7m Investment for Waste Battery Refinery in Sunderland

Northstar Ventures is leading a £1.7 million investment round into Lithium Salvage, a company set to develop an innovative refinery for recycling waste Lithium-ion batteries in Sunderland. The project aims to tackle the growing issue of battery waste by extracting valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel from household batteries. Currently, much of this waste is exported for processing due to insufficient domestic capacity. Lithium Salvage's proprietary process promises a scalable and environmentally sustainable solution, aligning with the UK government's ambitions to enhance critical material self-sufficiency. The funding comes from Northstar Ventures' Venture Sunderland Fund, with additional contributions from Sixth Wave Ventures, NPIF II Maven Equity Finance, and other investors. The investment will help Lithium Salvage scale up and expand its Sunderland site, supporting its goal of becoming the first UK end-to-end recycler of Lithium-ion batteries by 2026. Tom ONeill from Northstar Ventures highlights the environmental and regional growth potential of the initiative. Lithium Salvage's leadership underscores the strategic importance of their technology in establishing a sustainable supply chain and meeting the UK’s recycling needs. Supporting partners include Innovate UK, Teesside University, and Maven Capital Partners, each playing a role in advancing this venture.