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LCA of EV Battery Recycling in the Ontario–Québec Corridor

Life cycle assessment of traction battery recycling demonstrates substantial greenhouse gas reductions when hydrometallurgical processing is coupled with low-carbon regional electricity grids. Secondary recovery of nickel, cobalt, and lithium carbonate across the Ontario–Québec corridor significantly lowers embodied impacts compared to imported virgin minerals. Coordinating interprovincial collection logistics and clean processing facilities maximizes circularity and decarbonization outcomes for Eastern Canadian transport infrastructure.

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Bachelor's Thesis

Degree:
LCA of EV Battery Recycling in the Ontario–Québec Corridor

Author:

Group

First M. Last

Advisor:

Dr. First Last

City, 2026

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1. Theoretical Foundations of Life Cycle Assessment and Battery Circularity
1.1. Conceptual Frameworks of Closed-Loop Supply Chains in Electric Mobility
1.2. Methodological Standards of Environmental Life Cycle Assessment for Energy Storage
1.3. Hydrometallurgical and Pyrometallurgical Pathways for Critical Mineral Recovery
Chapter 2. Regional Energy Matrices and Infrastructure in the Ontario–Québec Corridor
2.1. Spatial Demarcation and Cross-Border Logistics of Spent Traction Packs
2.2. Comparative Inventory of Ontario and Québec Electricity Grids in Recycling Operations
2.3. Life Cycle Inventory Data Quality and Scope Definition for Regional Processing
Chapter 3. Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Recycling Pathways
3.1. Global Warming Potential and Embodied Carbon of Recycled Cathode Precursors
3.2. Mineral Depletion and Ecotoxicity Trade-offs in Hydrometallurgical Closed Loops
3.3. Comparative Assessment of Virgin Mineral Extraction Against Corridor Processing
Chapter 4. Strategic Pathways for Sustainable Industrial Deployment
4.1. Policy Instruments and Interprovincial Regulatory Harmonisation
4.2. Infrastructure Scalability and Industrial Symbiosis across Eastern Canada
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

The rapid electrification of passenger transport across Eastern Canada has accelerated the demand for traction batteries and heightened the necessity of managing spent energy storage assets. Establishing closed-loop supply chains within the industrial heartland is essential to mitigate resource depletion and reduce ecological burdens associated with virgin mineral extraction. Within the Ontario–Québec trade corridor, the co-location of automotive manufacturing hubs and decarbonised electrical grids creates a distinctive testing ground for regional circularity [2], [3].

Existing industrial research highlights substantial disparities in carbon intensity between virgin mineral refining and secondary material recovery, yet regionalised life cycle inventories for interprovincial recycling networks remain fragmented. Pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processing pathways exhibit divergent energy demands, chemical reagent requirements, and emission profiles that vary significantly depending on the local electricity grid mix [3], [5]. Evaluating the net environmental benefits requires accounting for cross-border transportation emissions alongside the operational phase of hydrometallurgical recycling facilities located in Eastern Canada [4], [8].

This study provides an environmental life cycle assessment of lithium-ion battery recycling systems operating across the Ontario–Québec corridor. By modelling cradle-to-gate inventories of secondary cathode precursor recovery and comparing them against imported primary commodities, this research quantifies emissions avoidance across multiple midpoint impact categories [3]. The findings establish an empirical baseline to inform regional critical mineral strategies and industrial policies for sustainable closed-loop manufacturing across Canadian supply chains [2], [4].

3.3. Comparative Assessment of Virgin Mineral Extraction Against Corridor Processing

Applying the environmental life cycle assessment framework to regional closed loops reveals distinct decarbonization advantages within the Ontario–Québec industrial corridor. When evaluating the recovery of critical cathode precursors, hydrometallurgical processing operates as the primary technological pathway to reclaim metal sulfates—specifically nickel, cobalt, and manganese—alongside lithium carbonate from spent traction batteries (W4384036052, 2023). A bottom-up spatial inventory demonstrates that sourcing these essential secondary materials within regional boundaries yields significant environmental credits compared to importing virgin raw materials evaluated against global supply chain benchmarks (W4384036052, 2023). This localized mitigation pattern aligns directly with broader regional mineral processing dynamics. A life cycle assessment of active anode material production in Québec establishes that domestic natural graphite processing generates approximately 1.44 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of finished material, presenting a stark reduction compared to the 9.6 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted per ton under conventional production in China (W7128948639, 2026). While thermal requirements from natural gas purification remain an operational emission driver, regional critical material processing substantially suppresses the cumulative greenhouse gas profile of battery manufacturing (W7128948639, 2026). Integrating circular economy principles into life cycle assessment enables a rigorous quantification of avoided burdens across the transport sector (8135813, 2022). By substituting international primary extraction with interprovincial recycling infrastructure, the corridor effectively minimizes waste generation and resource depletion. Consequently, coupling low-carbon processing assets across Ontario and Québec establishes an environmentally superior alternative to traditional linear supply networks for electric vehicle energy storage systems.

References

  1. Life cycle sustainability assessment of European electric vehicle battery recycling
    Enrique Moliner, Edgar Contreras, Marja Rinne et al.
    Lien DOI
  2. Circularity and life cycle environmental impact assessment of batteries for electric vehicles: Industrial challenges, best practices and research guidelines
    Aitor Picatoste, Daniel Justel, Joan Manuel F. Mendoza
    Lien DOI
  3. Economic and Environmental Viability of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling—Case Study in Two Canadian Regions with Different Energy Mixes
    Giovanna Gonzales‐Calienes, Miyuru Kannangara, Farid Bensebaa
    Lien DOI
  4. Toward Sustainable Anode Materials: LCA of Natural Graphite Processing in Québec
    Gary Vegh, Sarah Sajedi, Ivan Kantor et al.
  5. The Role of Battery Recycling in the Electric Vehicle Lifecycle
    Dr.Sangappa K Rajeshwer
  6. Integration of energy flow modelling in life cycle assessment of electric vehicle battery repurposing: Evaluation of multi-use cases and comparison of circular business models
    Magnus Schulz-Mönninghoff, Niki Bey, Patrick Uldall Nørregaard et al.
  7. MRIO-based LCA of Carbon Emissions from China's 2021 Battery Electric Vehicles
    Yuan, Xudong
  8. End of Electric Vehicle Batteries: Reuse vs. Recycle
    Yash Kotak, Carlos Marchante Fernández, Lluc Canals Casals et al.

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