Ascend Elements has begun construction of its largest electric vehicle battery recycling and engineered materials manufacturing facility. The facility will help meet North America’s growing demand for lithium-ion battery materials, specifically engineered precursor (pCAM) and battery-ready cathode active materials (CAM). When finished, the Apex 1 facility will produce enough pCAM and CAM to equip 250,000 EVs per year.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded two grants totalling $480 million to Ascend Elements to support construction of the Apex facility. (Earlier post.)

Ascend Elements plans to invest close to $1 billion in the 140-acre campus and 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. (Earlier post.) The first-of-its-kind facility will be home to the company’s Hydro-to-Cathode direct precursor synthesis process technology. This closed-loop system generates minimal waste and carbon emissions compared to traditional cathode manufacturing.

Ascend Elements’ Hydro-to-Cathode direct precursor synthesis process leaches out impurities, keeping the valuable metals in solution and eliminating multiple steps in the recycling flow.

With potential expansion phases, the facility will employ up to 400 people and generate up to $4.4 billion in economic impact to Kentucky over the construction period and first 10 years.