中国发明人谢英豪、余海军凭借智能电池循环技术斩获2026年欧洲发明家奖双项殊荣

Chinese inventors Xie Yinghao and Yu Haijun have won two awards at the 2026 European Inventor Awards for their intelligent battery recycling technology. The European Patent Office (EPO) awarded them the prize in the 'Non-EPO Member States' category and also the 'Public Prize', which is decided by a public vote and jury. Their patented technology recycles spent lithium-ion batteries into high-quality cathode materials. The technology achieves a recovery rate of up to 99.6% for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and 96.5% for lithium, while reducing acid and alkali consumption by 73%. Compared to traditional production methods, the carbon footprint of the battery-grade materials produced by this technology is reduced by 61%. The award was presented at the 2026 European Inventor Awards ceremony in Berlin. According to the International Energy Agency, global lithium-ion battery capacity increased by over 2,000 GWh between 2018 and 2023, powering approximately 40 million electric vehicles and thousands of battery storage projects. As battery demand continues to grow, so does the need for recycling critical raw materials like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The inventors' technology directly transforms spent lithium-ion batteries into high-performance cathode materials for remanufacturing new batteries, reducing waste, resource consumption, and carbon emissions. The European Inventor Awards aim to recognize inventors who provide solutions to global challenges through innovative technologies. Yu Haijun stated, "We are deeply honored to receive the 2026 European Inventor Award in the 'Non-EPO Member States' category, which is a great affirmation of our intelligent battery recycling technology. Our technology directly regenerates cathode materials from spent batteries, significantly reducing the consumption of mineral resources and carbon emissions. This breakthrough stems from our twenty years of continuous exploration and research in the field of the circular economy. This honor belongs to our entire R&D team, as well as all partners committed to promoting green and low-carbon development globally. In the future, we will continue to advance battery recycling and promote technological cooperation in the new energy field between China and Europe to jointly build a sustainable energy future." Ternary (NCM) materials are key components in electric vehicle batteries. Traditional recycling methods often rely on lengthy processes with high chemical consumption, requiring significant amounts of water, acids, alkalis, and energy. The Bangu team has developed a more selective technological path – directional circulation – which directly converts spent batteries into battery-grade NCM cathode materials while preserving the material's functional structure. According to company data, this process achieves a recovery rate of 99.6% for nickel, cobalt, and manganese, and 96.5% for lithium. It also reduces acid and alkali consumption by 73%, shortens the process steps by over 18%, and lowers the carbon footprint of the regenerated cathode materials by 61% compared to traditional production methods. The origin of this technology dates back to the early 21st century when the team noticed the growing problem of spent battery disposal and China's high dependence on imported raw materials. Yu Haijun founded Bangu Recycling in 2005, dedicated to transforming retired batteries into valuable resources. Since then, Yu Haijun has proposed concepts such as Reverse Product Positioning Design (RPPD) and Directional Recycling Technology (DRT), while Xie Yinghao has driven the technology from laboratory research to industrial application. In 2015, with Bangu's integration into CATL's ecosystem, the team successfully scaled up its recycling technology within the global battery supply chain. Today, Bangu is a leading company in the field of spent battery recycling and regenerated ternary cathode materials worldwide. Its recycling solutions serve several major automotive manufacturers and contribute to building a more circular battery industry. The winners of all categories of the 2026 European Inventor Awards were officially announced today at the awards ceremony in Berlin.