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Spotted: As battery manufacturing takes off, so does the production of sodium sulphate – a waste product of the industry. And, according to one report from Aachen University and consulting firm Roland Berger, battery material factories could be discharging almost 6 million tonnes of sodium sulphate by the end of the decade, most of which will end up in landfills, where it can leach into the water table, acidifying surface water and soil, and contributing to acid rain.

Aepnus Technology has an alternative. The company has developed a scalable electrolysis platform, which converts sodium sulphate back into sodium hydroxide and sulphuric acid, two of the battery industry’s essential input chemicals. 

According to Aepnus, its advanced electrolysis process is 50 per cent more energy efficient than traditional electrolysis processes and does not require components made of rare earth elements such as Iridium. This provides a competitive advantage that allows the company to deliver circularity economically. 

The company recently raised $8 million in seed financing to accelerate the production of its end-to-end sodium sulphate recycling technology. Aepnus also has plans to expand its technology platform to produce other commodity chemicals over the next five years.

Written By: Lisa Magloff