BASF says it will build a battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany at the site of its cathode active materials (CAM) plant. The prototype recycling plant will allow for the development of operational procedures and optimization of technology to deliver superior returns of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries as well as off spec material from cell producers and battery material producers, according to the company.
With the expected rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, recycling provides competitive and sustainable access to relevant metals for cathode active materials, says BASF. The extracted metals will be used to produce new cathode active materials and will enable a circular economy for the battery value chain, according to the company.
“With this investment in battery recycling, plus leading process technology for manufacturing of cathode active materials, we aim to ‘close the loop’ while reducing the CO2 footprint of our cathode active materials by up to 60% in total compared to industry standards,” says Dr. Matthias Dohrn, senior vice president, precious and base metal services at BASF. “This will enable us to meet the needs of our automotive OEM customers and helps ensure a more sustainable future for us all.”
For more information, visit: www.basf.com
