BASF plans to build new battery recycling test facility in Schwarzheide, Germany

BASF plans to build a new battery recycling test facility at its cathode active material (CAM) production site in Schwarzheide, Germany
.
The facility will support the development of recycling processes and enable continuous optimization of technologies to efficiently recover lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, battery manufacturers and battery material producers' production waste
.

The electric vehicle market is expected to grow rapidly in the future, and recycling will provide a competitive and sustainable way to obtain metal raw materials for cathode active materials
.
Recycled metals will be used to produce new cathode active materials, contributing to a circular economy in the battery value chain
.

Matthias Dohrn, Senior Vice President of BASF's Precious and Base Metals Services business unit, said: "By investing in battery recycling, as well as our leading production process technology for cathode active materials, we aim to 'close the loop' and compare the carbon dioxide footprint of BASF cathode active materials to a higher level.
A 60% reduction in industry standards
.
This will allow us to meet the needs of our OEM customers, while also contributing to a more sustainable future
.
”

The investment is expected to create around 35 new production jobs, with installations planned for early 2023
.
Battery recycling is an important long-term market need for the electric vehicle market to reduce its CO2 footprint, and it can also meet stricter policy measures, such as the proposed EU battery regulations that address nickel, cobalt and lithium recycling efficiency and material recycling targets
.

The Schwarzheide production site is located in the eastern German state of Brandenburg
.
BASF's investment in Schwarzheide further deepens its support for the European Commission to establish a European battery production value chain schedule
.
The project was approved by the European Commission on 9 December 2019 under EU state aid rules as part of the Priority Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)
.
Innovative battery materials and next-generation battery material and process development (including battery recycling) launched at the Schwarzheide site as part of the IPCEI battery research and development project by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy in accordance with a decision of the German Bundestag and the State of Brandenburg The Ministry of Economy, Labour and Energy is co-financed by the Brandenburg State Assembly Resolution (funding code 16BZF101A/B)
.