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AE Elemental, a collaboration between U.S.-based Ascend Elements and Poland’s Elemental Strategic Metals, has inaugurated its first commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Zawiercie, Poland. This new site is positioned to become one of Europe’s largest EV battery recycling plants, with the ability to process thousands of metric tons of used batteries annually. As demand for electric vehicles (EVs) grows, so does the need for efficient battery recycling to meet future EU regulations on recycled content in new batteries. The facility also aims to reduce environmental impacts by recycling hazardous materials from used EV batteries.
Key Highlights:
- The Zawiercie facility can process 12,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion batteries annually, or approximately 28,000 EV battery packs.
- It is a joint venture between Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals.
- The facility produces black mass from recycled batteries, used in creating new battery materials like cathode active material (CAM) and precursor CAM (pCAM).
- Commercial-scale lithium extraction will begin in 2024, with full capabilities operational by 2026.
- The facility’s launch addresses the increasing demand for sustainable battery materials and supports EU regulations that will mandate recycled content in new batteries by 2030.
- A larger battery recycling facility is planned in Germany, which will have the capacity to process 25,000 metric tons of batteries annually.
The new facility marks a significant step in the push for sustainable EV battery production and recycling. As Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements, stated, “This is a significant milestone…Expanding into Europe will allow us to better service our customers locally and help the industry comply with new EU rules requiring recycled material in new batteries.”
With the European Union placing an increasing emphasis on sustainability, AE Elemental is poised to play a crucial role in closing the loop on battery materials, providing a solution for recycling and reuse, which reduces reliance on environmentally damaging mining processes.
The collaboration between Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals demonstrates how international partnerships can drive forward the circular economy for EV batteries, benefiting both the environment and the industry at large.
About Elemental Strategic Metals: Elemental Strategic Metals operates in Poland as part of the Elemental Group, focusing on recovering valuable battery metals through environmentally responsible methods. Their operations include recycling a variety of materials, such as spent automotive catalysts, printed circuit boards, and lithium-ion batteries.
About Ascend Elements: Ascend Elements, based in Westborough, Massachusetts, specializes in sustainable battery material solutions, transforming used lithium-ion batteries into new materials using its patented Hydro-to-Cathode® technology. This method reduces greenhouse gas emissions and supports a cleaner, more efficient recycling process.
The opening of this facility underscores the importance of recycling infrastructure in the broader EV ecosystem, particularly as the EU targets sustainability goals and looks to reduce the environmental impact of the rapidly growing electric vehicle market.
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