Lithium battery recycler Ascend Elements has signed a multi‑year offtake agreement for lithium carbonate with Trafigura, a player in the global commodities industry. The agreement totals 15,000 metric tons (15 kilotons) to be delivered between 2027 and 2031.
>99% pure, recycled lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) recovered at commercial scale from black mass. Credit: Ascend Elements
Under the terms of the agreement, Trafigura will provide global marketing and logistics capabilities, while Ascend Elements produces refined, low-carbon lithium carbonate produced from recycled lithium‑ion batteries and manufacturing scrap via its patented Hydro-to-Cathode process.
Ascend operates recycling plants in Georgia and Kentucky and will soon have a recycling plant in Poland.
“Trafigura’s global platform paired with our Hydro-to-Cathode process turns circularity into supply security,” said Linh Austin, President and CEO of Ascend Elements. “Together we’ll deliver low-carbon, recycled lithium carbonate that is traceable, responsibly-sourced and available where customers build across the U.S. and Europe, reducing carbon, cost and geopolitical risk while accelerating a resilient battery supply chain.”
Trafigura provides extensive market reach, logistics and storage infrastructure to enable global distribution of Ascend Elements’ lithium carbonate.
Ascend’s Hydro-to-Cathode direct cathode precursor (pCAM) synthesis process simplifies lithium-ion battery recycling and transforms used batteries into sustainable, customized battery materials that can meet or exceed the performance of new materials. Ascend shreds the lithium battery and goes straight to cathode production rather than extracting and reclaiming intermediate compounds.
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