Germany – BASF and Stena Recycling have joined forces in acquiring Black Bulk, to establish a robust battery recycling value chain within the European EV battery market.
The primary focus of the collaboration is the enhancement of black mass production processes, striving for high recovery rates of critical metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The ultimate goal is to support closed-loop solutions for the European EV battery market. The initial stages involve the collection, evaluation, and pre-treatment of spent lithium-ion batteries, culminating in the production of black mass. This black mass, generated by mechanically treating old lithium-ion batteries and waste from battery production, becomes the focal point for the chemical recovery of valuable metals, fostering a sustainable circular economy.
From collection to metal refinery
Stena Recycling, based in Halmstad, takes charge of collecting used lithium-ion batteries and battery production waste, along with the production of black mass. Subsequently, the black mass undergoes further processing at BASF’s prototype metal refinery in Schwarzheide. This approach is set to serve as a blueprint for BASF’s upcoming commercial-scale battery recycling metal refinery in Europe.
BASF will play a pivotal role in recovering valuable metals from the black mass. This enables the production of new cathode materials crucial for the manufacturing of cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries.
