From Lithium Production to Battery Recycling: Essential Concepts, Industry Challenges, and Opportunities
Aleksandar N. Nikoloski
Brief bio
Professor Nikoloski is a leading research scientist and Head of the Extractive Metallurgy Hub at Murdoch University, as well as Research Program Lead for the Critical Metals for Critical Industries (CMCI) CRC in Australia. The Extractive Metallurgy Hub plays a pivotal role in advancing low-carbon and sustainable metals production in Western Australia, while the CMCI CRC brings together industry, academia, and government to develop and commercialise innovative onshore refining technologies for critical minerals. Professor Nikoloski is widely recognised for his expertise in applied electrochemistry and hydrometallurgy. He holds a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering and has over three decades of experience in teaching and research, including receiving the 2023 Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award for sustained excellence. His work has led to the development of novel processing technologies for lithium, vanadium, uranium, rare earth elements, and base metals, combining fundamental research with practical industrial applications, particularly in energy storage and sustainable processing. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed papers, secured several patents, and contributed extensively to industry and government reports. Through his internationally recognised research group, Professor Nikoloski has helped position Murdoch University at the forefront of hydrometallurgical innovation in Australia. His strong industry collaborations continue to drive advances in resource recovery and recycling, reinforcing his leadership in sustainable process development within the minerals sector.
Abstract
As Europe reshapes its industrial future around critical minerals, batteries and clean energy technologies, Serbia and the wider Balkans have a rare opportunity to help define the next stage of the battery value chain. This keynote considers that future across both primary lithium production and lithium-ion battery recycling, highlighting how resource extraction, materials processing and circular recovery must increasingly be understood as part of one connected industrial system. It explores the essential concepts underpinning battery recycling, from safe collection and pretreatment to black mass processing and critical metal recovery, while reflecting on the broader strategic role of integrating primary supply with secondary resources. For Serbia and the Balkans, this convergence offers more than environmental benefit: it presents a pathway to strengthen industrial capability, create value across the full battery ecosystem, reduce supply vulnerability, and position the region as an active contributor to Europe’s low-carbon and circular future.