The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that Glencore PLC may look at alternative options for a recycling hub in Europe for electric-car batteries after the Italian region of Sardinia rejected a fast-track approval process for its pilot project. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that Glencore and battery recycler Li-Cycle Holdings said in May that they planned to develop a recycling hub in Italy to produce materials, including lithium carbonate. The companies said they would set up the hub in Portovesme, in Sardinia, by repurposing Glencore's existing production sites on the island. The commissioning of the hub was expected to start in late 2026 to early 2027. Sardinia's regional government said on Friday the pilot project for the recycling hub could not be granted a fast-track approval process. Glencore said it had and would continue to act in accordance with all the regulatory requirements relating to the demonstration project and it remained committed to providing further details on the plant's impact. "The site would be re-purposed in full compliance with the relevant health, safety, and environmental standards," the miner said. Sardinia's regional government declined to comment on the issue.