TRACEGROW PRESENTS
REDO-M®
Circular manganese sulphate at battery-grade purity, from European recycled sources
REDO-M® creates a pathway from European recycled manganese to high-purity manganese sulphate for battery applications.
We’re seeking strategic partners to validate REDO-M® in production and support its path to industrial scale.
Europe's battery industry has a manganese problem
Europe remains almost entirely dependent on imported battery-grade manganese, while demand from battery applications is set to grow.
At the same time, manganese-rich alkaline battery waste is already collected across Europe, creating an available secondary raw material stream.
Tracegrow’s proprietary RETRACER® process recovers and purifies manganese from European recycled materials into high-purity manganese sulphate for battery applications.
- Around 97% of global high-purity manganese supply for batteries is concentrated in China (JRC, 2025)
- "Battery-grade manganese" is listed as a strategic raw material under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act
- Battery collection targets are increasing across Europe
- European recycled feedstocks offer an alternative source of manganese
REDO-M® connects this European feedstock with the battery industry’s need for secure, circular manganese supply.
Europe has the feedstock.
It's underutilised.
Alkaline batteries are already collected at volume across Europe. In 2023, 117,000 tonnes of portable batteries were collected in the EU, and sorted alkaline battery waste contains around 25% critical raw materials, mainly manganese.
Collected batteries count towards recycling targets. But along the documented recovery route, the zinc is recovered while the manganese remains in slag, lost to the battery value chain (Nordic Council of Ministers, TemaNord 2025:505).
RETRACER® provides a route from this European feedstock to high-purity manganese sulphate, keeping valuable manganese in circulation and reducing reliance on imported virgin materials.
This approach also supports the EU Critical Raw Materials Act objective of strengthening European recycling capacity for strategic raw materials.
European feedstock exists today. Its availability is growing, and so is the need to use it more effectively.
FROM RECOVERY TO BATTERY-GRADE PURITY
Tracegrow has developed RETRACER® through years of research, process development and industrial operation.
The technology operates at industrial scale at Tracegrow's plant in Kärsämäki, Finland, producing certified fertilisers sold in 20 countries. REDO-M® extends this recovery and purification platform into battery materials.
Independent testing by the University of Oulu has confirmed that RETRACER® can produce manganese sulphate monohydrate at battery-grade purity.
REDO-M® has been produced at pilot scale. The next step is validation in industrial production environments, followed by scale-up towards commercial supply.
RETRACER® is Tracegrow’s hydrometallurgical technology platform. Key recovery and purification processes within the platform are protected by granted patents, with further applications pending.
PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH
Tracegrow and the University of Oulu's Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry have published joint research on purifying manganese sulphate recovered from industrial side streams, in Minerals Engineering (2026).
COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY.
BATTERY-GRADE PATHWAY DEMONSTRATED.
INDEPENDENT PURITY VALIDATION
University of Oulu testing has confirmed manganese sulphate monohydrate at battery-grade purity.
SCALABLE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
Built on Tracegrow’s existing RETRACER® process and production know-how.
EU-BASED SUPPLY
Based on manganese recovered from European recycled feedstocks.
CIRCULAR RESOURCE USE
Returns manganese already circulating in Europe to productive use.
PATENTED CORE TECHNOLOGIES
Granted patents cover key hydrometallurgical recovery and purification processes, with further applications pending.
BUILDING A NEW MANGANESE SUPPLY ROUTE FOR THE EU
REDO-M® combines European recycled feedstock, high-purity processing and Tracegrow’s existing industrial production experience.
The technology has reached the stage where the next step is validation in industrial production environments.
We are seeking partners across three areas:
Product validation
Refiners and pCAM/CAM producers: validate REDO-M® in your qualification processes.
Feedstock supply
Collectors, recyclers and shredders: supply alkaline black mass, so its manganese is recovered alongside zinc rather than lost to slag.
Industrial scale-up
Partners to scale production beyond our first plant, towards commercial-scale European supply.
RETRACER® recovers manganese from multiple European secondary feedstocks. Industrial validation with partners will determine the optimal route to commercial supply.
