Batteries

BASF has started the commercial operation of its Black Mass plant in Schwarzheide, Germany. According to the company, this facility is one of the biggest commercial Black Mass plants in Europe, with an annual processing capacity of up to 15,000 tons of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and production scrap.

A joint position paper calls upon the European Commission to take decisive regulatory action to mitigate risks from surging lithium battery fires and protect Europe’s waste management infrastructure and workers.

An increasing number of electronic waste is not being properly disposed of but often discarded together with plastic waste, for example. If the batteries in these products are damaged, they can cause fires at sorting plants. In the DangerSort project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS are using a sensor-based sorting system to remove hazardous items and make recycling plants safer.

Furuya Metal and Asahi Kasei have, in collaboration with Nobian Industrial Chemicals and Mastermelt, embarked on a demonstration trial regarding the recycling of metals used for chlor-alkali electrolysis cells and the electrodes within those cells. Through this initiative, Furuya Metal will strive to build an ecosystem in the chlor-alkali industry using rare metal recycling.#

As demand for electric vehicles soars, the environmental impact of battery production and disposal is under increasing scrutiny. The 2023 EU Battery Regulation imposes stricter sustainability targets, requiring 50% lithium recovery by 2027 and 80% by 2031. By 2031, minimum recycled content levels must reach 16% for cobalt, 85% for lead, and 6% for lithium and nickel. These regulations drive manufacturers to enhance recycling efficiency and adapt to evolving sustainability standards.

Ecobat has announced the successful commissioning of three lithium-ion battery recycling facilities within just one year. Located in Hettstedt, Germany; Casa Grande, Arizona; and Darlaston, England, these facilities are now fully operational. Together, the three plants are capable of processing up to 10,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries annually, with plans to scale capacity to 25,000 tons.

As the automotive industry accelerates its transition towards electric vehicles (EVs), the focus on sustainable practices has never been more critical. Central to this evolution is the lifecycle management of EV batteries, which poses both opportunities and challenges.

Vianode has launched the first high-performance solution based on recycled graphite as part of its next-generation material series. The product is based on recycled battery-grade graphite and designed to meet growing demand for sustainable electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing.

To meet the legal requirements for the recycled content of nickel, cobalt, and lithium in new batteries, Duesenfeld has developed a sustainable recycling process to counteract the increasing quantities of waste from battery production, especially electrode scrap.

The change to the list, which provides common terminology for classifying waste across the EU, is intended to pave the way for a more sustainable and innovative automotive sector.

Watercycle Technologies has entered into a cooperation agreement with Primobius. As a joint venture, Primobius combines the process capabilities of Neometals Ltd and SMS group’s engineering expertise.