Yichang gives new life to one in five retired EV batteries in China
By Chen Zai
China's retired EV batteries are projected to total nearly 500,000 tons in 2026 and more than 1 million tons by 2030. As more spent batteries enter the recycling process, Brunp Recycling's fully integrated industrial park in Yichang plays a pivotal role. Today, one in every five retired EV batteries in China is given a new life here.
The fully integrated industrial park of Yichang Brunp.
As a subsidiary of CATL, Brunp Recycling operates seven global hubs with a world-leading annual processing capacity of over 400,000 tons, projected to surpass 1 million by 2030. The company pioneered the Reverse Product Performance Design approach to improve recyclability at the source. It recently won two prestigious European Inventor Awards, becoming the first Chinese company to win in two categories.
Yichang Brunp took the lead in building China’s first lithium iron phosphate battery recycling production line with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons. At the industrial park, used batteries undergo discharge, crushing, leaching, impurity removal, and synthesis, transforming into lithium iron phosphate powder in as little as one week before being shipped to downstream manufacturers.
Using Direct Regeneration Technology, the facility achieves recovery rates of 99.6 percent for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, 96.5 percent for lithium, and more than 90 percent each for phosphorus and iron.
The battery recycling production line at Yichang Brunp.
From January to September 2026, the industrial park’s output value reached 18.6 billion yuan, a year on year increase of 132 percent.
Regulatory support has further strengthened Brunp's growth and technological development. In April 2026, six government agencies, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, began implementing interim measures for the management of retired new energy vehicles (NEV) power battery recycling, directing more end-of-life batteries into formal, compliant channels.
The Yichang High-tech Zone has established a complete closed loop spanning phosphate mining, raw materials, precursors, cathode materials, and battery recycling. Anchored by industry leaders such as Brunp and Envision AESC, it is building a leading national NEV battery industrial cluster.
The industrial park of Yichang Brunp is located in the Yichang High-tech Zone.
Reporter Zhang Lianghong, Correspondent Rong Fei and Xie Xue'e contributed to this story.
