German chemicals giant BASF is ramping up its auto battery recycling activities to secure a stable supply of metal ingredients for its battery chemicals business. The company, based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, is focusing on developing a global production network for cathode materials, a crucial component of automotive batteries, as the demand for electric vehicles continues to rise. Cobalt and nickel are essential inputs for these materials.
Last week, BASF announced a partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), a major player in the car battery industry, to collaborate on battery recycling initiatives. BASF’s chief technology officer, Melanie Maas-Brunner, stressed the importance of maintaining a circular movement of raw materials to sustain the cathode business in the long term due to a scarcity of resources.
Maas-Brunner anticipates that the volumes of raw materials sourced from recycling will surpass those from mining within the next five to 10 years. BASF will primarily compete in battery recycling with Belgium’s Umicore, while also forming partnerships with cobalt and nickel miners in countries like Russia and Indonesia.
The next step for BASF is the construction of a recycling plant prototype in eastern Germany, where the company already processes precursor materials from a collaboration with Norilsk Nickel into finished cathode materials for battery cells. Maas-Brunner highlighted the company’s commitment to closing the circular loop by investing in recycling plants near existing cathode material production facilities.
With the battery recycling business still in its early stages, BASF’s strategic investments aim to secure a sustainable supply chain for its battery chemicals business and contribute to the growing electric vehicle market.
