Fostering Sustainability Through Circularity in Mining Batteries
The global transition to clean energy is accelerating demand for minerals and metals. Meeting this demand is estimated to require more than 300 new mines worldwide.
By Tariq Kareemulla (Senior Programme Officer – Innovation, ICMM). First published by Engineering & Mining Journal.
Extracting new minerals will always be essential, but the mining and metals industry has an opportunity to adopt circular practices – turning waste into value and improving resource efficiencies, while at the same time contributing to decarbonisation goals. One of the most practical and high-impact opportunities lies in developing a circular battery economy.
For mine operators, this evolution will lower costs, offer new revenue streams, support the achievement of their sustainability goals and provide benefits for local economies. The batteries used in mine haul trucks are enormous, built to power machines the size of family homes. Even after reaching their end of useful life, these batteries often retain significant energy potential that could be redirected to other applications. The business case is compelling as is the environmental imperative of supporting a sustainable energy transition. While most mines lack the infrastructure to implement circular battery practices, collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other stakeholders across the value chain is crucial to realise these circular opportunities. Where infrastructure is limited, greater focus will be needed to unlock the full potential of batteries.
As demonstrated through ICMM's Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative, coordinated action can unlock complex technological solutions. Battery circularity is not a peripheral goal – it is key to maximising the value of these technologies and extending their life beyond first use.
Haul trucks typically operate in high-duty cycles at mining operations, meaning prolonged use at a high-proportion of their maximum power under heavy loads. This leads to faster battery degradation than in passenger cars, which carry lighter loads and have longer idle periods, helping preserve their battery life.
Managing this battery waste responsibly is critical. Circularity plays a crucial role: by extending battery value through second-life uses or material recovery at end-of-life, the industry can reduce waste, cut emissions, and use resources more efficiently.
Second-life uses include powering site offices, storing energy from renewables, or providing backup power to local communities. But the circularity of batteries can go further still. They can also serve as an additional source of critical materials. Anglo American, for instance, is collaborating with GEM, one of China's largest battery materials recyclers, to explore more efficient technologies in using raw materials in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
Circular economy models also have the potential to create new opportunities for economic development in resource rich countries. By embedding social imperatives into circular strategies and collaborating with local businesses and communities, mining companies can help build resilient local economies while accelerating the transition to cleaner energy systems.
Recycling, repurposing, and refurbishing processes create demand for skilled workers – engineers, technicians, and waste management experts – driving local employment and innovation.
Additionally, second-life batteries can offer communities access to cleaner, more affordable alternatives to fossil fuels. Indeed, the potential application as stationary storage and grid-balancing could transform energy landscapes and empower communities worldwide. For example, Vale's battery energy storage system at the Ilha Guaiba terminal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has the capacity to power 45,000 homes for one hour, demonstrating tangible community benefits from battery repurposing.
population. After 20 years, this could double. Valuable materials like lithium, graphite, copper, iron, steel, and aluminum could also be recovered, reducing the need to extract these resources.
In countries reliant on imported fossil fuels, circular battery solutions integrated with solar or wind energy, can reduce dependence on volatile global fuel markets and support long-term energy resilience.
Tackling the environmental impact of large haul trucks is another crucial workstream. Applying circularity principles helps reduce waste and emissions, while preserving the significant value mining companies have invested in their fleet of vehicles.
Realising these benefits will require sustained collaboration across industry, value chains, governments, and communities. For example, navigating regulatory challenges related to battery transportation, typically classified as 'hazardous material' and thus subject to delays and elevated permitting costs, is essential. By leveraging emerging technologies and cultivating innovative partnerships – like those supported by the ICSV initiative – the mining and metals industry can unlock the full potential of battery circularity and the benefits that come with it.
