Battery recycling : BASF to build prototype plant for battery recycling

The plant would enable the development of processes to achieve higher recovery of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from spent lithium-ion batteries.

At the same time, metals from products made by cell manufacturers and battery materials producers that do not meet product specifications could also be recycled, it said. Thirty-five new jobs are to be created in production, and the plant is scheduled to go into operation in early 2023, according to the plans.

The goal is to close the loop to become a leader in recycling lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry, it said. In the process, the "carbon footprint" of cathode materials should be reduced by up to 60 percent overall, the company said. Given the expected rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, recycling offers competitive and sustainable access to relevant metals for cathode materials, it added. The recovered metals will be used to produce new cathode materials and enable a circular economy for the battery value chain.

According to the company, the commitment is part of the EU's IPCEI project to support the development of a competitive European value chain for batteries for electric vehicles.

For Brandenburg's Minister of Economics Jörg Steinbach (SPD), the decision in favor of the battery recycling plant demonstrates the company's foresight, because where cathode material for batteries is produced in the future, its recycling must also be considered at the same time, he explained. "This is circular economy as it should be." At the same time, he said, the construction of this plant is an important contribution to advancing structural development in Lusatia.