Seoul to develop and commercialize recycling technologies for discarded batteries

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : November 2, 2021, 16:04 Updated : January 3, 2023, 19:49

[Courtesy of Seoul City]

SEOUL -- Seoul will upgrade, demonstrate and commercialize recycling technologies developed by private companies. Two kinds of technologies -- recycling technology for discarded lithium-ion batteries and food waste reduction technology -- were selected from a list of some dozen technologies submitted by local enterprises. 

According to Seoul on November 2, the Seoul Institute of Technology will provide support to ER, a battery recycling company, to upgrade and commercialize battery-recycling technology. ER has developed an anti-explosion treatment technique for used batteries and an extraction technique that selectively collected precious metals from discarded battery parts.  

The capital city will also help e-GM Tech, a domestic food waste processing company, to commercialize a platinum catalyst-based heat drying technique for food wastes. Using the technique, food wastes can be effectively processed without creating a bad smell. Seoul said e-GM Tech's food waste processing technology has the potential to solve Seoul's waste problems. 

South Korea has been focusing on the development of technologies that recycle discarded batteries as the number of electric vehicles (EV) is rapidly increasing. The lifespan of batteries that are used in electric cars is about 10 years. The government predicts that about 67,200 EV batteries will be discarded annually in 2030.
The transport ministry's data showed that the number of EVs increased from about 2,700 in 2014 to some 135,000 in 2021.
 
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