On the 26th of September, SK Ecoplant and Ascend Elements announced a new battery recycling facility in Kentucky, US. The facility will be a joint venture (JV) between SK Ecoplant, Ascend Elements and TES (a SK Ecoplant subsidiary). The JV will produce approximately 12,000 tonnes of black mass as feedstock for Ascend Elements’ nearby Apex 1 facility.

SK Ecoplant a Key Instigator

SK Ecoplant will hold the majority share in the JV of 64%, while Ascend elements will have 25% leaving TES with 11%. The group estimates the project will cost USD65 million, with construction scheduled to begin quickly in November 2023. The location is contingent on due diligence, however, will be in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area.

Once online in early 2025, the battery recycling plant will handle 24,000 tonnes of used EV batteries and production scrap. It will produce 12,000 tonnes of black mass annually, most of which will be feedstock to Ascend Elements’ nearby Apex 1 facility.

The Apex 1 will be a NMC cathode precursor (pCAM) and cathode active material (CAM) manufacturing facility, focusing on being fully circular. It will focus

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