Brisbane, Frankfurt am Main and Aachen – 3 June 2025 – 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.”

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.

About cylib

cylib is a company for holistic and sustainable battery recycling. The end-to-end process, developed through many years of research at RWTH Aachen University, is characterized by the efficient, resource- and climate-friendly recovery of raw materials such as lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and manganese from battery packs, black mass, or production scraps. By returning sustainably sourced raw materials to the supply chain, cylib enables a truly circular economy and resilient European value chains. The company was founded in Aachen in 2022 by Dr.-Ing. Lilian Schwich, Paul Sabarny, and Dr.-Ing. Gideon Schwich, and employs over 100 people.

About Pure Battery Technologies
Pure Battery Technologies (PBT) is refining the future with clever chemistry and smarter thinking. Founded in 2017, PBT is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and has a commercial processing plant in Hagen, Germany. PBT’s patented hydrometallurgical technology — developed in conjunction with the University of Queensland (UQ) — refines raw intermediate MHP and recycled Black Mass into high-quality pCAM materials, with up to 80% lower CO₂ emissions and significant cost savings compared to conventional refining. PBT’s closed-loop approach and cleaner processing demonstrate true stewardship in sustainability, delivering better outcomes for the supply chain and the communities in which we operate.

Media contacts

cylib GmbH
Rebekka Müller
Head of Public Relations
Phone: +49 (0) 241 9457360
Email: pr@cylib.de

Pure Battery Technologies
Collette Hetherton-Gwinn
Phone: +61 419 728 690
Email: collette@purebatterytech.com

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