Norway's quest for 'black gold' from used car batteries

Norway is the site of Europe's biggest plant for recycling used or defective electric car batteriesOSLO - Wearing a white lab coat and with a gas mask within reach, Ole Jorgen Gronvold measures the humidity of an intriguing dark powder touted as the planet's next"black gold".

Industry leader Norway, where electricity is almost exclusively generated by renewable energies, is the uncontested world champion of zero-emission electric cars, with the latter accounting for more than 80 percent of new car registrations.Emptied of electricity, the imposing battery packs -- they weigh half a tonne each -- are methodically taken apart to recover up to 95 percent of the materials.

The"black gold" is touted as eco-friendly as it comes from the recycling process rather than being mined in faraway countries. "Globally speaking, we're not a mining superpower for copper, cobalt or nickel", she said, adding that recycling waste was an obvious option.According to Transport & Environment, a European clean transport campaign group, recycling old batteries could cover between at least eight and 12 percent of Europe's critical mineral needs in 2030, and between 12 and 14 percent in 2035.

This other crucial link in the recycling chain, which makes it possible to extract the metals contained in the powder, is still low-scale in Europe, handled only by a few companies such as Revolt in Sweden and Eramet in France.

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