Ascend Elements, a US-based company, has announced the opening of its $50 million commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility in the state of Georgia, marking it as the largest electric vehicle battery recycling facility in North America to date.
The facility, which already began partial operation in August 2022, can process up to 30,000 tonnes of batteries and manufacturing scrap per year. The company claims that it can recover up to 98% of critical metals used in lithium-ion batteries, making it more efficient and environmentally friendly compared to other recycling processes.
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The company uses a unique approach called the ‘Hydro-to-Cathode’ process, which involves engineering the composition and microstructure of lithium-ion cathode particles during the direct precursor synthesis phase. This process delivers custom-made battery materials to precise customer specifications.
Ascend Elements writes on its website: “The process recovers 98% of the critical battery metals in spent lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap and produces new cathode material at half the cost and 90% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to similar cathode made with newly mined and refined metals.”
The company is also planning to produce sustainable battery materials for electric vehicles in Kentucky. The facility should be completed towards the end of the year and will manufacture enough sustainable cathode material and precursors for up to 250,000 electric vehicle batteries per year.
“This facility demonstrates that sustainable battery production is possible and that we can create a circular economy for lithium-ion batteries,” said Ascend Elements CEO, Patrick Gruber. “We are excited to be leading the way in recycling and sustainable production, and we are committed to developing new technologies and processes that support a greener future for everyone.”