Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology has offered Ascend Elements up to 1.22 billion Polish złoty ($320 million US) to support construction of a precursor cathode active material (pCAM) manufacturing facility in the country.

pCAM is a high-value, precisely engineered material used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries. Ascend Elements plans to commercialize its technology for making nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMC) pCAM from recycled battery materials.

The company says its Hydro-to-Cathode direct pCAM synthesis technology produces new NMC pCAM material from spent lithium-ion cells more efficiently than traditional methods. And a recently published life cycle assessment found the process to be significantly cleaner than traditional battery recycling methods.

In 2024, Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals established a joint venture to own and operate a battery recycling facility in Zawiercie, Poland. Ascend says it has already identified a location for the new pCAM facility, which will be solely owned and operated by Ascend Elements.

Ascend Elements already owns and operates a battery recycling facility in Covington, Georgia, and it’s building a Hydro-to-Cathode pCAM manufacturing plant in Hopkinsville, Kentucky,.

“We are committed to building a sustainable battery materials supply chain on both sides of the Atlantic,” said CEO Linh Austin. “This offer of support from the Polish government marks a significant step forward in Ascend Elements’ European growth strategy.”

“We are deeply grateful for the support of the Polish government and thrilled to expand our presence in Europe “This project marks a critical step in transforming Europe’s battery materials landscape,” said Tomasz Poznar, Senior VP of Commercial at Ascend. “By bringing our advanced Hydro-to-Cathode technology to Poland, we aim to help bridge the growing gap in cathode precursor supply and contribute to the EU’s net-zero goals by building a sustainable circular battery materials supply chain in the region.”

Source: Ascend Elements