April 19, 2024: BASF started operating its prototype metal refinery for battery recycling in Schwarzheide, Germany, earlier this month. The chemical company plans to develop and optimize processes and procedures there to recycle the raw materials from old batteries and production waste.

BASF already operates its cathode material production at the Schwarzheide site and later this year the battery recycling plant will also put the production of black mass into operation.

“With the expected rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, battery recycling provides competitive and sustainable access to critical metals,” said Daniel Schönfelder, president of BASF’s catalysts division, who is also responsible for the company’s battery materials and battery recycling business.

“We will use the extracted metals to enable a truly local circular economy for the battery value chain.”