SEPAR8 Pilot

A key step toward the industrial-scale recycling of end-of-life batteries

FUNDERS

Project funded by the Just Transition Fund (FTJ)
with support from the Hauts-de-France Region

Project objectives

Build an integrated pilot facility to serve as a demonstration of a model that can be replicated across Europe, consisting of:
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- A battery preparation pilot program that will enable the storage, diagnosis, and preparation of end-of-life NMC Li-ion batteries—either for second-life applications or for recycling—under safe operating conditions;
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- A pilot project to recover strategic metals from black mass derived from end-of-life batteries.

Achieve TRL 7 for the process of recovering and recycling end-of-life batteries

Demonstrate achievement of recycling targets for batteries and the metals they contain 
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- Metal-specific recovery rates: 95% for cobalt, 95% for nickel, 80% for lithium, and 95% for copper.
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- Recycling rate for Li-ion batteries of at least 70% by 2027

Demonstrate the environmental benefits offered by the innovative SEPAR8 Hub;

Demonstrate the industrial viability of a sulfate-free battery value chain while showcasing the benefits and attractiveness of the recycling hub:
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- Address all technical, economic, and social uncertainties related to the construction of a SEPAR8 plant

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Louis POYET

Project Manager

Diagram showing the processing steps at the Mecaware Recycling Hub and the flow to pCAM/CAM, the Gigafactory, OEMs, and the wind energy sector.

An Ecosystem Supporting Industrialization

The Mecaware pilot project is built on a strong industrial ecosystem based in the Hauts-de-France region, particularly in the Nord–Pas-de-Calais area.

Béthune is much more than a pilot project: it is the first step toward our industrial ambition. We aim to develop it into a true battery recycling hub, gradually bringing together the various areas of expertise needed to transform end-of-life batteries into strategic metals. Here, we are building the industrial capacity that will help strengthen Europe’s self-sufficiency in batteries. This ambition is being built in partnership with a dynamic local ecosystem, comprising partners, suppliers, and local talent.