BASF Catalysts offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products including advanced battery materials. BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. We believe mobility’s future lies in more than just products. So where others come to a full stop, we’re just getting started—by leveraging the full power of BASF to continually advance our comprehensive package of sustainable solutions that enable us to travel further, as well as above and beyond. A leading supplier of high performance cathode active materials (CAM) for electrified vehicles to battery producers and automotive OEMs around the world. Protecting the air we breathe from harmful emissions through innovation. BASF leverages unsurpassed expertise in the development of emission control technologies for a wide range of market applications. BASF is committed to advancing and promoting environmentally-sound technologies to achieve a sustainable future in aviation. Offering 50 years of experience developing intelligent solutions for air quality over a wide range of applications — enabling clean air for a healthier, more sustainable future. As the global leader in chemical catalysts, BASF develops cutting-edge catalyst chemistry with our customers’ needs in mind. We want to contribute to a world that provides a viable future with enhanced quality of life for everyone. We do so by creating chemistry for our customers and society and by making the best use of available resources. BASF offers the widest portfolio of adsorbent technologies for a broad spectrum of applications in industries such as refining, petrochemical, chemical, and gas processing. Syngas, produced from natural gas or coal, is a key intermediate in the emerging technologies for gas-to-liquids (GTL), methanol-to-olefins, coal-to-liquids and fuel cells. At BASF, our Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalyst and additive offerings together with our expert technical services build the right solution to create value within any unit’s constraints. Paving the way toward a brighter, more secure future. Manufacturing products for sustainable solutions, reducing emissions from our processes, and using non-fossil fueled energy sources – all of these efforts help lead BASF on a continuing journey of sustainability. BASF Natural Gas experts have a diverse portfolio of products to custom design a solution and help you meet your Natural Gas treatment needs. BASF has been serving the natural gas treatment market for over 60 years. Innovative, step-change technology with dual-purpose performance: removal of heavy hydrocarbons and water to cryogenic specifications in a single unit. With more than 150 years of experience in metal sourcing, trading, and hedging, we’ve built tangible results for our industrial customers. With more than 100 years of experience in recycling materials, BASF’s end-to-end recycling program is known and trusted around the globe. As a leader in precious-metal thermocouples for many years, BASF recently applied its technological expertise to optical-based temperature measurement. Developing and producing pharmaceutical ingredients for more than 75 years, enabling us to provide the solutions you need to meet today's and tomorrow's challenges for your pharmaceutical business. Find the latest news and media information for BASF’s Catalysts division, headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, USA, the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. Explore this collection of resources to learn more about our innovative research and Catalyst solutions.
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Groundbreaking for battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany

Summary:

  • Start-up is targeted in 2023
  • Strengthens BASF’s cathode active materials (CAM) production and recycling hub in Schwarzheide
  • Technology from prototype plant will be used in expected commercial scale battery recycling plant
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Prototype design for battery recycling plant in Schwarzheide, Germany

BASF has broken ground for its battery recycling prototype plant in Schwarzheide, Germany. In an internal event, the company celebrated this milestone together with the Battery Materials and Recycling leadership team and the project team responsible for the new plant. The plant is part of BASF’s multi-step investment plan to further grow its presence in the European battery recycling market. Construction is planned to start in August and start-up is scheduled in 2023. This investment will create about 35 new jobs at the Schwarzheide site.

Leveraging its broad expertise in recycling and its market access, BASF currently already offers battery recycling services in China and in Europe. This plant is the next step in further growing our recycling footprint. With the prototype plant, Schwarzheide becomes an important research center for hydrometallurgy at BASF. Together with our research colleagues in Ludwigshafen, it will enable the fast and effective scale-up of the battery recycling technology for a closed-loop battery material value chain. We expect to build a commercial scale battery recycling plant based on the technology developed, tested and refined in the prototype plant by mid of this decade.”

Dr. Matthias Dohrn

Dr. Matthias Dohrn

Senior Vice President, Battery Base Metals & Recycling at BASF

The prototype recycling plant will allow for the development of operational procedures and optimization of hydrometallurgy technology to deliver superior returns of lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries as well as off spec material from cell producers and battery material producers. The extracted metals will be used to produce CAM and will enable a circular economy for the battery value chain, significantly improving the CAM product carbon footprint.

hydrometallurgy technology

The plant will use a hydrometallurgical process that leaches and separates the valuable metals. This will provide lower CO2 emissions than traditional pyromet or combined pyro/hydromet processes that rely on heat.

BASF’s Schwarzheide production site is located in Germany in the federal state of Brandenburg. The investment reinforces BASF’s support of the European Commission’s agenda towards a European battery production value chain and is part of the “Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)” approved by the European Commission on December 9, 2019, under the European Union State aid rules. The launch of innovative battery materials from the Schwarzheide plant and research to develop next-generation battery materials and process development, including battery recycling, is co-funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag and by the Ministry of Economics, Labor and Energy of the State of Brandenburg on the basis of a resolution of the Brandenburg State Parliament as part of the IPCEI for Batteries: Funding codes 16BZF101A/B.

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Photos by Oliver Killig

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Battery Materials