Partner companies plan BEV battery recycling plants in Poland, Germany

Battery recycling plant in Zawiercie, Poland (Photo: AE Elemental)

Elemental Strategic Metals, based in Zawiercie, Poland, and Ascend Elements, with headquarters in Westborough, Massachusetts, have announced the formation of AE Elemental, a 50/50 partnership which will operate a new electric vehicle battery recycling plant in Poland.

The facility will be set up to disassemble, discharge and shred EV batteries to produce ‘black mass’, the byproduct which, when separated into individual commodities including cathode active material and cathode precursor, can support production of new battery packs.

The facility will have the capacity to recycle up to 12,000 tonnes of batteries per year, about 28,000 EV battery packs.

Lithium extraction facilities capable of processing up to 20,000 tonnes of black mass per year are set to start construction later in 2024 and start operation in 2026.

In addition, the partners are planning to construct a further EV battery recycling plant in central Germany. This will have the capacity to recycle up to 25,000 tonnes of batteries per year, or packs from 58,000 EVs.

“Our partnership with Ascend Elements is more than just a strategic move into the battery recycling industry, it is a transformative step towards becoming a key player in the battery materials industry,” said Pawel Jarski, CEO of Elemental Holding. “The combination of Ascend Elements’ cutting-edge technology with our recycling expertise, large collection network, recycling platform and global footprint puts AE Elemental in a pole position in this evolving market.”