BASF opened one of Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling facilities, which will process up to 15,000 tons of used batteries annually, according to Batteries News.
The new plant, based in Schwarzheide, Germany, can handle materials from about 40,000 electric vehicle batteries each year. This is an important development for European battery production, helping reduce dependence on mining raw materials while meeting economic goals.
The facility specializes in producing “black mass,” an intermediate material in the battery recycling process. When EV batteries reach the end of their useful life, they still contain valuable metals (such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese) that can be extracted and reused in new batteries.
Battery recycling benefits both consumers and the environment. Keeping hazardous battery components out of landfills prevents toxic chemicals from leaching into groundwater and…
