AE Elemental, a joint venture between American company Ascend Elements and Polish company Elemental Strategic Metals, today celebrated the grand opening of its first commercial-scale EV battery recycling facility. The newly built plant in Zawiercie can process 12,000 tons of used Li-Ion batteries annually, or about 28,000 EV batteries – making it one of the largest battery recycling plants in Europe. The opening ceremony involved several dozens of business leaders from Europe and North America who toured this state-of-art facility.
As the demand for electric vehicles continues to rise, Li-Ion battery recycling is becoming an increasingly important part of the supply chain for EV battery production. In the European Union, by 2030, new batteries will have to contain a minimum quantity of materials from recycling. Recycling Li-Ion batteries also prevents the storage of hazardous materials in landfills and minimizes the environmental impact associated with the extraction of nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
“We have significantly moved closer to the position of a global leader in the market for recycled materials needed for EV battery production,” stated Michal Zygmunt, CEO of Elemental Strategic Metals. “As part of our contribution to the joint venture with a reputable American partner, we are providing the most modern industrial processing plant in Zawiercie and one of the most developed waste collection network in Europe with a wide-ranging knowledge and experience in recycling and waste logistics.”
The AE Elemental plant will handle the processes of dismantling, discharging, and recycling EV batteries. The end product will be the so-called ‘black mass’ used, among other things, for the production of materials for new EV batteries, including cathode active material (CAM) and cathode precursor (pCAM). The construction of a commercial-scale lithium extraction facility will begin in the autumn of 2024, with operational activity expected to be reached in 2026.
“This is a significant milestone for Ascend Elements, representing our first battery recycling plant at a commercial scale in Europe. We are delighted to be working closely with Elemental Strategic Metals at this beautiful facility,” says Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements. “Expanding into the European market will allow us to better serve our local customers and help the industry adapt to new EU regulations requiring the use of recycled materials in new batteries.”
Outside of Poland, the joint venture plans to build the largest Li-Ion battery recycling plant in Europe in Germany. The planned AE Elemental plant in Germany will have the capacity to recycle up to 25,000 tons of batteries annually, which equates to about 58,000 EVs per year.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/ae-elemental-otworzyl-w-zawierciu-jeden-z-najwiekszych-zakladow-recyklingu-baterii-ev-w-europie-75780
