Construction of the new cathode materials plant required an investment of more than $50 million, which was supported by a $24.6 million grant from the US DOE. In addition, BASF was selected as one of only two licensed suppliers of ANL-patented Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) cathode materials, which employ a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. (Earlier post.) The materials being produced in Elyria leverage this advanced NCM chemistry, which is particularly well suited to the production of lithium-ion batteries for automotive and other high-end applications.

The operation in Elyria is supported by BASF battery materials research laboratories in nearby Beachwood, Ohio, and at the company’s headquarters site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.