Botree’s Gangfeng Liu on Scaling Up Battery Recycling and the Huaibei Plant

ICM: Please present Botree’s activities in battery recycling in a few words.
Gangfeng Liu: Botree is a technology service provider. On the technology side, we cover the full battery recycling chain, including battery dismantling, hydrometallurgical processing and the regeneration of cathode and anode materials. Our core offering spans technology consulting, process-package design, supply of production lines (including installation and commissioning) and operations & maintenance support. Globally, we select promising partners for deep collaboration through technology licensing, joint ventures and operational contracting.

ICM: Tell us what the main drivers of your business are.
Gangfeng Liu: Continuously evolving technology, a multidisciplinary talent team, an international outlook and a global IP portfolio.

ICM: How confident are you for the development of the Li-ion battery recycling business?
Gangfeng Liu: Very confident — we see Li-ion battery recycling as a global blue-ocean market.

ICM: As battery technologies evolve, where do you see continued growth coming from?
Gangfeng Liu: Growth will come from several directions: (1) the steadily growing volume of end-of-life batteries that need to be processed, this will become a secondary-resource market scaling from millions to tens of millions of tonnes; (2) tightening compliance requirements on safety, environmental protection, ESG and carbon reduction; and (3) the evolution of battery chemistries from LCO to NCM to LFP, and later solid-state and sodium-ion batteries, which puts new demands on recycling processes and equipment.

ICM: How is Botree preparing for the future?
Gangfeng Liu: First, technology and process R&D, with a focus on engineering-scale deployment; second, engagement with, and support for the growth of leading players in the industry.

ICM: Botree is Steering Committee member, a sponsor and a plant tour partner at the World Reuse & Recycling Forum in Shanghai in November — what will delegates see at your new plant in Huaibei?
Gangfeng Liu: Huaibei Staree Project is a flagship facility integrating the entire lithium battery recycling chain, from pretreatment to selective lithium extraction and ternary hydrometallurgical recycling. Designed and delivered by Botree, the plant benefits from a complete suite of solutions including process design, smart equipment, and full O&M service. With a total annual processing capacity of 40,000 tonnes (Phase I: 26,000 tpa), the site demonstrates industrial-scale, end-to-end circularity for critical battery materials.