Norway's quest for 'black gold' from used car batteries

Batteries being drained of power to be safe to handle before they are dismantled at battery recycling company Hydrovolt's plant in Fredrikstad, southeastern Norway. on June 20, 2023. Photos: Petter Berntsen/AFP

Wearing a white lab coat and with a gas mask within reach, Ole Jorgen Gronvold measures the humidity of an intriguing dark powder touted as the planet's next "black gold".

But this "black gold" – a term that usually refers to oil – is actually good for the Earth.