China is now the biggest generator of battery circularity patents, as competition heats up in the realm of electric vehicle battery recycling and critical minerals extraction technology.

This was stated in a joint study conducted by the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency, which revealed that patenting around battery recycling, reuse, and repurposing had surged since 2017, with Chinese firms taking up a sizable portion of the expansion in the electric vehicle value chain.

The joint paper said that patent applications regarding battery circularity had grown annually at a rate of 42% from 2017 to 2023, outperforming growth figures in the battery technology and metal refining industries. The study examined technologies related to lithium-ion battery recycling, disassembly, collection, and material recovery.

This surge in patent applications coincides with efforts by governments and businesses to secure access to minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite, which are used in electric vehicles and energy storage.

The report noted that global battery installations grew from about 180 GWh in 2020 to about 1,100 GWh in 2024 and could surpass 3,500 GWh by 2030. In addition, it was projected that about 1.2 million electric vehicle batteries would hit their end-of-life by 2030 and that volumes would be higher by 2040.

Asian firms filed 63% of international patent families about battery circularity in 2023. The contribution from Chinese firms was significant, with Brunp, a battery recycling unit of Chinese battery maker CATL, emerging as a major player in filing patents within the sector since 2020.

In terms of international patent families relating to battery circularity, China's contribution rose from 5% in 2013 to 29% in 2023. In addition, China's domestic patents made up a significant portion of global recycling patents for batteries during the period under review.

According to the researchers, the surge in innovation on battery recycling patents was attributed to worries over the critical minerals' supply chain concentration. China represented a big part of global lithium and cobalt refining capacity in 2024, while Indonesia had increased its processing capacity of nickel and its production.

According to the report, battery recycling is becoming an integral component of industrial policies, energy security considerations, and supply chain diversification strategies rather than merely a waste disposal problem.

Academic research in the area of battery supply chains has also uncovered issues in relation to the collection, recycling, reverse logistics, and material recovery processes. Academic research focused on lithium-ion battery recycling has highlighted that policy coordination and processing capacities influence the sustainability of the electric vehicle industry.