UK Startup Altilium Secures £18.5m for Commercial EV Battery Refinery
April 11, 2026 – 8:32 am
In short:
Altilium, a UK clean technology company, has secured £18.5 million in grant funding from the government’s DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund to build ACT3, Britain’s first commercial refinery for recovering critical minerals from end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Located in Plymouth, Devon, the facility will process 24,000 EV batteries annually using Altilium’s proprietary EcoCathode™ process, producing battery-grade materials with up to 74% lower carbon emissions than mined equivalents and supporting 70 new jobs.
The Funding and Its Impact
The funding comes through the DRIVE35 Scale-Up Fund, a program delivered by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK and Innovate UK. This initiative is part of the UK government’s £2.5 billion commitment to accelerate domestic EV supply chain and battery manufacturing capacity.
Altilium previously raised over £17 million in private investment from strategic partners including Marubeni Corporation and Mizuho Bank. The latest announcement is a significant milestone:
"This funding marks a pivotal moment for Altilium and for the UK’s battery ecosystem," said Dr Christian Marston, COO and co-founder. "By scaling our recycling technology and building the UK’s first commercial facility of its kind, we are closing the loop on battery materials and enhancing the growth, productivity and competitiveness of the UK automotive supply chain."
The grant is expected to unlock additional private investment from new and existing shareholders.
ACT3 Plant Production
ACT3 will be built in Plymouth, where Altilium already operates a hydrometallurgical pilot plant for EV battery recycling. Full construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2026, with commissioning targeted for the end of 2027. Once operational, the plant will produce:
- Nickel mixed hydroxide precipitate
- Lithium sulphate
- Graphite
These recycled materials have lower carbon emissions than their mined equivalents by up to 74%, according to an independent lifecycle assessment.