June 5, 2025

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Brisbane, Frankfurt am Main

Germany

Pure Battery Technologies (PBT) and cylib announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), creating a partnership that will strengthen the battery recycling value chain in Europe.
Under the agreement, cylib, a sustainability leader in lithium-ion battery recycling, will supply PBT, a recycling and refinery technology leader, with black mass concentrate (BMC) – an intermediate product containing valuable and otherwise expensive battery metals such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese. PBT will use its advanced, low-emission hydrometallurgical process to refine the BMC and reintroduce the recovered materials into the battery supply chain as precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM).
Complementary innovation for a circular economy
Both companies are considered experts in their respective fields. cylib has developed a proprietary process for lithium-ion battery recycling, enabling the efficient recovery of critical materials such as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, and manganese with significantly lower emissions than conventional methods.
PBT specialises in recycling and refining these recovered materials into high-purity battery precursors using its proprietary, low-emission hydrometallurgical technology. Together, the companies enable a more circular, cleaner, and regionally resilient European battery industry.
Voices from the partnership
PBT’s CEO, Mr Bjorn Zikarsky said that as Europe accelerates the shift towards electrification and clean energy, securing a sustainable and reliable supply of battery materials is more critical than ever.
"This collaboration with cylib enables us to secure a locally supplied, responsible and sustainable source of BMC, reinforcing our ability to further recycle and refine high-purity battery materials with low emissions. Together, we are making Europe’s battery industry cleaner, greener, and more self-sufficient."
Dr Lilian Schwich, CEO and Co-Founder of cylib, added:
“At cylib, we are committed to revolutionizing battery recycling with our efficient lithium recovery technology. The fact that our process also produces high-quality battery metal concentrate allows us to contribute even further to the circular economy by supplying PBT with a valuable feedstock for refining. This partnership is a significant step toward building a fully sustainable battery value chain in Europe.”
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EU policy driving collaboration
The European Battery Regulation sets ambitious standards for sustainability and material recovery. It requires that by 2030, at least 70% of lithium and 95% of cobalt, nickel, and copper from spent batteries must be recovered. cylib’s recycling process already exceeds these requirements. Through the partnership with PBT — which achieves recovery rates of up to 99% for these critical materials and metal from black mass concentrate (BMC) — more valuable resources will stay within Europe. These recovered materials can be directly reintegrated into the value chain, reducing reliance on non-European supply chains. This closed-loop approach supports the continent’s climate and circular economy goals.
This MOU marks another important step toward a cleaner, more circular, and self-sufficient European battery industry.