AE Elemental, a collaboration between U.S.-based Ascend Elements and Poland-based Elemental Strategic Metals, has officially opened its first commercial-scale electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility in Zawiercie, Poland. The newly constructed plant can process 12,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion batteries each year, equivalent to approximately 28,000 EV battery packs, positioning it among the largest in Europe. The opening ceremony attracted business and community leaders from across Europe and North America.
With the rising demand for electric vehicles, lithium-ion battery recycling has become a crucial component of the EV battery materials supply chain. The European Union mandates that new batteries must contain a minimum percentage of recycled content by 2030. Recycling not only prevents hazardous battery materials from ending up in landfills but also reduces the environmental impact associated with mining for nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
“We have come significantly closer to becoming a global leader in the market of recycling materials necessary to produce EV batteries,” said Michał Zygmunt, CEO of Elemental Strategic Metals. “Through our joint venture with a reputable American partner, we are providing a state-of-the-art industrial processing facility in Zawiercie and leveraging one of the most developed networks of waste collection points in Europe, along with extensive knowledge and experience in recycling and waste logistics.”
The facility will disassemble, discharge, and shred EV batteries to produce black mass—a material used to create new engineered EV battery components such as cathode active material (CAM) and cathode precursor (pCAM). Plans are underway to add commercial-scale lithium extraction capabilities by fall 2024, aiming for full operational status by 2026.
“This is a significant milestone for Ascend Elements, representing our first commercial-scale battery recycling facility in Europe,” said Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements. “We’re pleased to be working closely with Elemental Strategic Metals in this impressive facility. Expanding into Europe allows us to better serve our customers locally and helps the industry comply with new EU regulations requiring recycled material in new batteries.”
Looking ahead, the joint venture intends to build Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Germany. The proposed facility will have the capacity to recycle up to 25,000 metric tons of batteries per year, equivalent to approximately 58,000 EVs annually.
Source: Ascend Elements News & Insights
