Last week, Circular Materials had the honor of attending the grand opening of AE Elemental’s cutting-edge facility in Zawiercie, Poland. This groundbreaking achievement marks the debut of Europe’s first commercial-scale EV battery recycling plant, which is poised to revolutionize the industry with its capacity to process 12,000 tons of used lithium-ion batteries per year — the equivalent of around 28,000 EV battery packs.
T collaborative effort between Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals, the facility is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. It is set to lead the way in sustainable innovation by recycling used lithium-ion batteries and producing black mass, a critical intermediate material for the creation of cathode active materials (CAM) and precursors (pCAM), which are essential in manufacturing new EV batteries.
Michael Pinto, our Managing Director, had the privilege of representing Circular Materials at this milestone event. Alongside prominent business and industry leaders from Europe and North America, Michael toured the state-of-the-art facility and celebrated this significant step forward for the battery recycling industry.
“This is a great step forward in helping the industry comply with new EU regulations requiring the use of recycled materials in new batteries,” said Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements. At Circular Materials, we share this vision. As the energy transition accelerates, the efficient recovery and recycling of lithium-ion battery materials will become a cornerstone of the entire eMobility and Energy Storage value chains.
Not only does recycling make economic sense, but it also helps prevent hazardous materials from entering landfills and reduces the need for extracting raw minerals from traditional mines. At Circular Materials, we are committed to supporting these efforts by recovering critical raw materials from various industrial waste streams, building upon the pioneering work of companies like Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ascend Elements and Elemental Strategic Metals for hosting us at this incredible event. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to accelerate the development of a thriving circular economy.
Together, we are shaping a more sustainable future.
CircularMaterials Sustainability BatteryRecycling CircularEconomy Innovation GrandOpening Networking
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