Lyon, France hydrometallurgical refinery
How Lyon — Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Refinery turns black mass into battery-grade salts — inputs, process chemistry, outputs and where its feed comes from.
Throughput
23,000 TPA
Process stages
6
Feeder sites nearby
6
Operating since
2020
From black mass to battery-grade salts
- 1
Feed assay & sampling
Incoming black mass is homogenised and assayed by ICP-OES for Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Cu, Al and fluoride before it is released to leach.
- 2
Sulphuric acid leaching
Two-stage leach at 60–85 °C with peroxide reductant dissolves cathode metals at 96–99% extraction efficiency.
- 3
Impurity removal
Iron, aluminium and copper are precipitated and filtered; graphite is recovered as a separate low-ash cake.
- 4
Solvent extraction trains
Sequential Co, Ni and Mn circuits with counter-current mixer-settlers deliver individual metal raffinates.
- 5
Crystallisation & drying
Nickel and cobalt sulphate hexahydrate plus lithium carbonate are crystallised to 99.5%+ battery grade and bagged under nitrogen.
- 6
Batch certification
Every batch ships with a certificate of analysis, mass balance and chain-of-custody record for EPR and IRA reporting.
Acceptance criteria
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Accepted feed | Black mass, cathode scrap, sealed drums |
| Moisture limit | Agreed per contract, deducted from payable weight |
| Sampling | Homogenised and split, assayed by ICP-OES |
| Documentation | Assay certificate, manifest, waste-shipment consent where required |
Products leaving the plant
| Stream | Product |
|---|---|
| Lithium | Carbonate or hydroxide, battery grade |
| Nickel | Sulphate hexahydrate, battery grade |
| Cobalt | Sulphate heptahydrate, battery grade |
| By-products | Graphite cake, copper and aluminium residues |
Why Lyon, France
The Lyon area is one of France's main chemical and industrial regions, with access to the Rhône corridor and routes to southern Europe. The refinery opened near Saint-Priest in 2020 to process black mass for French and southern European markets, in a region where chemical handling skills and infrastructure are already well established. It is one of three refineries in the network's European operations.
With 23,000 TPA of capacity, the refinery receives black mass from French and southern European sites and produces battery-grade salts. It supports France's growing battery manufacturing sector with locally refined material, and its location makes it a practical destination for black mass from Spain and Italy. Sampling and assay at intake set the basis for settlement, and every output batch ships with an analysis certificate and mass balance record for customers' reporting.
Permitting
EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and the French EPR (REP) system
The refinery operates under French permitting for classified installations (ICPE) and the EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542. Waste shipments follow the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.
Technical strengths
Chemical-region location
Located in an established French chemical area.
Southern Europe access
Well placed for France, Spain and Italy.
Local supply for French industry
Supplies refined salts to regional battery manufacturers.
Sites that feed Lyon, France
Black mass arrives from these campuses, yards and grading plants.
Lyon, France plant: technical questions
Does the refinery accept whole battery packs?
No. Whole packs are received at intake yards and campuses, discharged and shredded; the refinery receives the resulting black mass.
How is black mass priced here?
Against an agreed assay, with payable percentages per metal and deductions for moisture and impurities. Sampling is witnessed or split on request.
What does Lyon produce?
Battery-grade salts refined from black mass feed.
Does Lyon accept material from Spain or Italy?
Yes, subject to waste shipment rules.
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.
Have black mass to place?
Share assay, tonnage and location for an indicative payable and an intake slot.