The research will focus on the company's Tamarack project, which comprises an underground nickel-copper mine in central Minnesota and a battery mineral processing facility in North Dakota.
Teck can acquire up to a 70% interest in the project by spending C$15.7 million on the project and making staged cash payments totalling C$1.6 million.
Europe could recycle enough battery materials to supply two million EVs in 2030, but energy costs and a lack of financial support mean it is unlikely to do so.