BASF, a chemicals firm, has opened a battery material production and recycling site in Schwarzheide, Germany.

The automated production plant makes cathode active materials, and mechanically processes end-of-life batteries and battery production waste for the production of black mass, which contains lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese. 

The factory will provide European cell manufacturers and automotive OEMs with customized products, and BASF says its production is sold out for the next year. A black mass production facility is under construction and will begin operating in 2024.

“The new plants for battery materials at BASF Schwarzheide contribute to the success of the transformation in the previous coal-mining region,” said Dr. Dietmar Woidke, Minister President of the State of Brandenburg. “With the production of battery materials, battery production and their recycling, a new, unique branch of industry is being created in Brandenburg, opening another chapter in the energy transition.”

Source: BASF