Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF and Nanotech Energy, a provider of graphene-based energy storage products, have agreed to partner to significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of Nanotech’s lithium-ion batteries for the North American market.
BASF will produce cathode active materials from recycled metals in Battle Creek, Michigan, for usage in lithium-ion battery cells produced by Nanotech Energy. According to a press release from BASF, feeding recycled metals into the production of new lithium-ion batteries can reduce the CO2 impact of batteries by about 25% compared to the use of primary metals from mines.
Both companies will also partner with American Battery Technology Company (ABTC), a lithium-ion battery recycling company in Reno, Nevada, and TODA Advanced Materials Inc. (TODA), manufacturer of specialized pCAM (precursor for Cathode Active Material) and metal hydroxide material located in Ontario, Canada, to establish a localized battery value chain for the North American consumer electronics and automotive industries.
Along that chain, battery scrap and off-spec material from Nanotech’s pilot operation in Chico, California, and its planned commercial facility will be recycled by ABTC. The recovered battery-grade metals – such as nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium – will be subsequently used by TODA and BASF to produce new precursors and cathode active materials, respectively. Nanotech will then use these materials again in its battery cell production, supporting a circular economy in the region.
