The LithiumCycle™ process, an innovative bio-based recycling technology developed through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the SER Group and Coventry University, has been shortlisted for two categories at the 2025 Materials Recycling World National Recycling Awards, one of the UK’s most respected honours within the recycling and sustainability sector.
Shortlisted Categories:
Circular Economy Initiative: Processing Breakthrough
Waste Management Energy Innovation
The LithiumCycle™ process represents the core outcome of an ongoing Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) supported by Innovate UK, established to advance the UK’s capability in sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling. The project’s objectives include reducing the energy use, cost, and carbon footprint of recycling compared to existing pyrometallurgical processes, embedding bioleaching technology within the SER Group as a novel capability and competitive advantage, and establishing a pilot-scale bioleaching plant at the company’s facility.
This partnership with SE Recycling, part of the SER Group, is developing sustainable bioleaching-based processes to recycle metals from lithium-based batteries. This sustainable technology delivers a solution that retains precious metals within UK industry, with wider economic benefits including skills development and job creation.
At Coventry University, the project is led by Dr Sebastien Farnaud and his Bioremediation and Microbial Biotechnology Group, whose research focuses on harnessing microbial processes to recover and recycle critical materials from waste streams. Dr Farnaud’s team brings world-leading expertise in biometallurgy and environmental biotechnology, providing the scientific foundation for the development and optimisation of the LithiumCycle™ process. Working closely with Cellcycle’s technical team, the group has played a pivotal role in translating laboratory research into an operational, scalable industrial application.
Through this collaboration, detailed experimental protocols and standard operating procedures have been successfully embedded into SER Group operations. The result is the LithiumCycle™ process — a biologically driven system that uses naturally occurring bacteria and organic compounds to recover valuable metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese from spent batteries.
Replacing high-energy, chemical-intensive techniques with this low-impact approach significantly reduces environmental impact and operational energy demand, contributing to the creation of a sustainable, circular, and self-sufficient critical mineral supply chain in the UK.
Driving the UK’s Circular Economy
Recognition at the National Recycling Awards highlights how the LithiumCycle™ process is helping to shape the UK’s transition towards Net Zero and greater critical mineral independence. By enabling domestic recovery of high-value resources, the technology strengthens the nation’s position in sustainable battery manufacturing and reduces reliance on imported raw materials.
Through the partnership between the SER Group and Coventry University, the LithiumCycle™ programme continues to drive innovation in responsible recycling and circular resource management, reinforcing the UK’s standing as a global leader in sustainable technology development.
