September 27, 2024: AE Elemental, a joint venture of US-based Ascend Elements and Poland-based Elemental Strategic Metals, held an opening ceremony of its first commercial-scale EV battery recycling facility.

“Located in Zawiercie, Poland, the newly constructed facility can process 12,000 tonnes of used Li-ion batteries each year — or approximately 28,000 EV battery packs annually — making it one of the largest battery recycling facilities in Europe,” said a spokesperson for the firm.

“Dozens of business and community leaders from Europe and North America attended the opening ceremony and toured the state-of-the-art facility.”

The wave of new recycling facilities being built across Europe has in part been prompted by new European legislation.

From 2031, new EV batteries sold into the EU must include a minimum of 6% recycled lithium, 6% recycled nickel and 16% recycled cobalt. These targets increase to 12%, 15% and 26%, respectively, by 2036.