SINGAPORE – A new $10 million chemical engineering lab in Jurong will study ways to recycle and produce batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), a global priority as the first wave of EVs are nearing obsolescence.
The Innovation Technology Hub (InTecH) at the Jurong Innovation District marks Swiss chemical engineering company Sulzer’s first research and development centre in Asia.
It features a range of chemical separation equipment, including a higher-yield fractional distillation tower – said to be the tallest research tower among pilot plants in Asia – to recycle all sorts of chemicals, plastics and lubricant oils.
The research and development facility, which was launched on March 5, allows clients to test new methods of recycling chemicals before they are deployed at scale, said Sulzer chief executive and executive president Suzanne Thoma.
Located in JTC CleanTech Three, the lab gives clients in the region an option to explore new methods of production outside of Switzerland.
The global firm, which has more than 13,000 employees worldwide, will also expand its Singapore team of 150 staff by up to 30 employees over the next three years, Sulzer said in a statement.
The lab will focus on developing energy-efficient chemical engineering processes for items that are hard to recycle, like plastics and oils, in a move that aims to lift Singapore’s standing in green manufacturing.
While in its early stages, the recycling of EV batteries has emerged as a key priority for the lab, InTecH director Alain Schwick told The Straits Times.
“The first wave of EVs will become outdated soon and will one day need to be recycled,” said Mr Schwick. “Recycling EV batteries is something we are researching. It is in its early stages, but it is a valuable market because lithium is not easy to come by.”
The race is on for alternative sources for lithium, nickel and cobalt, as traditional mining for these materials, essential for batteries, can have environmental consequences and lead to masses of electronic waste once the batteries are obsolete.
The market for repurposed EV batteries from passenger cars alone is valued at an estimated US$15 billion (S$20.1 billion) globally, according to Greenpeace East Asia, which anticipates a “tidal wave” of used EV batteries from China in the next decade.
Battery recycling firms like TES Singapore and Se-cure Waste Management are building facilities to recycle EV batteries.
9-storey distillation tower
The new lab has a 28m distillation tower, which Sulzer says is the tallest tower used for research purposes worldwide.
The tower can be used to test methods to separate chemicals from impurities to recycle plastics or petrochemicals – one of the company’s core markets.
To do this, crude oil or melted plastics is vaporised with a boiler at the bottom of the tower. The vapour will condense into liquid form on trays positioned at specific levels of the distillation column based on the boiling point of the chemical being extracted.
For instance, lighter chemicals like petrol may be collected at the higher sections, while heavier chemicals like diesel are typically collected at the lower levels. Taller towers are able to distil more kinds of chemicals, such as those with very close boiling points.
The lab is equipped with other fluid separation facilities and analytical equipment to help clients reduce the risk of investment before such processes are deployed at scale in manufacturing plants, said Mr Schwick.
Sulzer, which has operated in Singapore for nearly four decades, will provide its clients consulting services, assist with testing methods that are proposed and can also help to build fully functioning chemical plants for its clients, said Mr Schwick.
Ms Thoma said: “(The lab) is poised to revolutionise the green tech landscape in South-east Asia. Our state-of-the-art R&D facility provides unparalleled access to cutting-edge technologies, empowering manufacturers and processors to innovate and produce eco-efficient, high-quality products.”
