A joint venture between a Polish and an American company has chosen Saxony-Anhalt as the location for its new lithium-ion battery recycling plant.
Elemental Strategic Metals (ESM), a member of the Polish-based Elemental Holding Group, a market leader in the urban mining business with a global presence, recently announced the formation of the joint venture company AE ElementalTM with the American company Ascend Elements. Ascend Elements is one of the fastest growing lithium-ion battery materials companies in the US market.
The companies plan to build a new state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery recycling facility in central Germany. Last year, Elemental Strategic Metals successfully acquired the land in Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt, which is earmarked for the construction of a plant.
"With ESM, another internationally renowned company is coming to Saxony-Anhalt. Here, in the dynamic Central German region with its high level of industry expertise, ESM will find the necessary conditions for its success. The company will make a significant contribution to the transformation process of our automotive supply industry. The creation of new jobs and the introduction of innovative, environmentally friendly technologies will further strengthen the state's economy and consolidate Saxony-Anhalt's role as one of the leading locations of the future," said Sven Schulze, Minister of Economics, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry of Saxony-Anhalt.
"Our investment in Germany is an important step towards strengthening our position as a key player in the battery materials industry," said Maciej Dudzic, member of the ESM Management Board. "The choice of location was a well-considered decision, preceded by long and detailed discussions with the local authorities, and we ultimately chose Central Germany as it offers good logistics and supportive local authorities," added Maciej Dudzic.
Mayor Tobias Kascha and business promoter Ralf Quednau are delighted with the successful establishment of this new company, which was preceded by constructive and trusting cooperation. The joint venture addresses an absolutely forward-looking topic and is therefore in tune with the times.
The upcoming project aims to build a state-of-the-art plant specializing in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and will bring 20 new permanent jobs to Saxony-Anhalt. Using innovative and environmentally friendly technologies, the new facility in Germany will be able to recycle up to 58,000 electric vehicle batteries per year. Construction work is expected to begin in 2025. ESM has already contacted a number of local companies with proposals for their involvement in the project.
The joint venture with AE Elemental has just commissioned its first recycling plant for lithium-ion batteries as part of the Industrial and Precious Metals Recycling Center in Zawiercie, Poland.
State-of-the-art plant processes are used, among other things, to recover metals from lithium-ion batteries at the end of their service life, which are of strategic importance for electromobility.