Glencore-Li-Cycle recycling facility likely to proceed despite regulatory pushback, sources say

The plant’s future was put in question earlier this month after a request to fast-track the project was rejected by the regional government of Sardinia, southern Italy, prompting Glencore to announce that it “may consider alternative options [if] the unnecessary extension of the approval process results in a delayed timeline that makes the project economically unviable.”

But sources speaking to Fastmarkets on the sidelines of LME Week said they expect the plans for a recycling plant to recover recycled metals from black mass will proceed on the site, which already houses a lead-zinc smelter and a hydrometallurgical facility owned by Glencore.

Sources on the sidelines this week said they believed it would be too cumbersome and costly to establish the project on a new site, given that Glencore’s existing infrastructure, including port access, is already well set up in Portovesme.

The facility was expected to become Europe’s largest source of recycled battery-grade lithium, with a target commissioning time of late 2026-early 2027, the companies said in May. The firms then announced in late September their desire to fast-track operating the recycling hub, which would involve moving the production of recycled lithium carbonate to the first half of 2024 from the processing of up to 11,000 tonnes of black mass annually.

Li-Cycle issued a statement fully supporting the Portovesme plans.

“Li-Cycle and Glencore are committed to the Portovesme hub project and building critical, clean refining capacity for the production of recycled battery materials in Europe,” a Li-Cycle spokesperson said on October 3.

Phase one of the project would be a demonstration plant, while phase two would involve the full commercial recycling facility.

“The timing of phase one for the two-phase approach to the Portovesme Hub project is subject to receipt of all final regulatory approvals. To date, all regulatory feedback cited is related to phase one,” the Li-Cycle spokesperson said.

“Glencore is leading permitting and regulatory efforts for phase one, and Li-Cycle is supporting this work. The work on phase two is underway, and the definitive feasibility study remains on schedule to be completed by mid-2024,” the spokesperson added.

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