" Li-Cycle (LICY.N) said on Tuesday it has started operations at its German plant to break down electric-vehicle batteries for recycling, part of the company’s rapid expansion into the European market and plan to become one of the continent’s largest lithium producers."
" Until the Italian facility opens, Li-Cycle will send black mass produced in Europe to its North American processing facility in New York.
Amid strong opposition in Europe to lithium mining, Li-Cycle believes its operations on the continent could grow to become one of the region’s largest lithium producers, Johnston said."
Of course, “black mass” is their term for the lithium concentrate they hope to process into battery grade materials. The implication is not pure lithium but perhaps including other valuable elements like cobalt and/or nickel. Presumably suitable to include in a battery formulation but costly to separate and purify.