Birmingham — West Midlands Grading Works
Birmingham, England facility: diagnostics centre running module-level SOH, impedance and optical grading to split reuse from refining. Rated at 16,000 tonnes per annum and operating since 2021.
Annual capacity
16,000 TPA
Operating lines
3
Cities collected
3
In operation since
2021
About the Birmingham, England facility
Birmingham and the West Midlands are the traditional heart of UK vehicle manufacturing, with engineering centres, suppliers and battery development programmes across the region. The grading works opened on the Tyseley Industrial Estate in 2021 to give the UK its own module-level grading site, keeping British material in the country for testing. Its catchment covers England, Wales and Scotland. It opened as UK EV registrations accelerated.
Its 16,000 TPA of capacity covers passenger-car packs from dealers and dismantlers, taxi and bus fleet retirements, and development material from UK engineering programmes. Black cab and bus fleets are a distinctive part of its intake, with pack formats and duty cycles unlike typical private cars. Reusable modules go on to second-life builds, and the rest are sent for black mass production.
What arrives at the gate
What sets this site apart
UK grading base
Keeps UK material in the country for testing.
Engineering material
Handles packs from UK development programmes.
Taxi and bus expertise
Experienced with the pack formats and duty cycles of UK fleets.
What happens to material here
- 1
Intake & safety triage
Packs are logged, thermally imaged and screened for swelling, coolant ingress or venting before entering the bench area.
- 2
Controlled de-energising
Residual energy is discharged to a safe state of charge with regenerative load banks and recorded per serial number.
- 3
Module-level capacity test
Full charge-discharge cycling at C/3 establishes usable capacity, internal resistance and cell-to-cell balance.
- 4
EIS fingerprinting
1 mHz–10 kHz impedance sweeps separate SEI growth, lithium plating and contact resistance degradation modes.
- 5
AI optical inspection
Machine-vision inspection of busbars, welds and cell cans flags mechanical defects that block second-life reuse.
- 6
Grade assignment
Grade A (≥85% SOH), B (75–85%), C (65–75%) and D routes are assigned, with D-grade material released to refining.
Where material goes next
| Role | Facility | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Second-Life BESS Works | Zwickau — Saxony Second-Life Works | 1,011 km |
| Hydrometallurgical Refinery | Rotterdam — Maasvlakte Refining Works | 439 km |
| Integrated Recovery Campus | Toronto — Ontario Recovery Campus | 5,558 km |
Local rules
Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 · Environment Agency and devolved regulators, with OPSS on market placement
The works operates under Environment Agency permitting in England and the UK waste batteries regulations, which place producer responsibility obligations on those placing batteries on the market. Transport follows UK dangerous goods rules based on ADR.
Before you book into Birmingham, England
- Dismantlers should secure packs before collection.
- Fleet operators can book depot pickups.
- Development packs require architecture details.
- Damaged packs need prior declaration.
Damaged or defective packs are handled under a separate quarantine protocol — flag them in the form and the team calls you back the same day.
Birmingham, England site: common questions
Does Birmingham operate under EU rules?
The UK has its own battery and waste rules, and the site operates under Environment Agency permits.
Can taxi fleets use the Birmingham site?
Yes. Depot collections can be arranged for fleet operators.
What are the opening hours at Birmingham, England?
Monday to Friday 08:00 – 20:00, Saturday 08:00 – 16:00. Sunday: emergency and damaged-pack intake only, by prior booking.
How do I book a collection into Birmingham, England?
Use the booking button on this page with pack counts, chemistry and condition. The despatch desk confirms a window within one working day and ships UN-approved packaging before collection.