Welcome to our latest series - Battery Breakdown - where we'll be diving deep in to the world of EV batteries with the latest industry news stories each month, presented by CMC's battery expert, Cain Van Heyningen.
Our biggest stories from October 2024 involve the US Department of Energy, Elemental and Solantis. Watch the full video here, or read on below.
USDOE announces $3 billion in EV Battery Funding
The US Department of Energy has announced more than $3 billion in funding for 25 EV battery projects, taking place across 19 States.
This funding aims at increasing the domestic production of advanced batteries and the related materials.
These selective projects are expected to generate over 8000 construction jobs and more than 4000 operational jobs once completed.
Advanced batteries are essential for enhancing the US power grid, providing energy for homes and businesses, and also promoting the electrification of the transportation sector. Managed by the DO ES Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, the projects will focus on upgrading, expanding and creating new facilities for processing key battery minerals, manufacturing battery components, and supporting recycling efforts.
This initiative builds in the private sectors historic $120 billion investment in the electric vehicle battery supply chain under the Biden/Harris administration.
It also aligns with the President's Clean Energy Strategy to strengthen the domestic supply chain, contributing to America's energy security and global competitiveness.
AE Elemental opens large scale recycled EV battery facility
AE Elemental, a partnership between US based Ascend Elements and Poland's Elemental Strategic Metals, recently marked the grand opening of its first large scale facility for recycling electric vehicle batteries situated in Savitchy, Poland.
This newly established plan has the capacity to process 12,000 metric tons of used lithium ion batteries on an annual basis.
This is equivalent to about 28,000 EV battery packs and this positions it as one of the largest of such facilities in all of Europe.
Business and community leaders from across Europe and North America attended the inauguration, which included tours of the advanced facility in the European Union.
New regulations mandate that batteries produced by 20-30 must include a specified amount of recycled materials.
As the demand for electric vehicles grows, recycling lithium ion batteries is becoming crucial element in the EV battery material supply chain.
The process not only helps prevent hazardous materials from entering landfills, but it also reduces the environmental impact associated with mining essential minerals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
Stellantis To Establish New Battery Factory In Spain
The Spanish government has committed to providing Stalantis with a grant of €133 million to support the potential establishment of a battery factory near Zaragoza.
This funding is a part of a state initiative aimed at bolstering the electric vehicle and battery sectors. The government hopes his financial support will motivate Solantis to continue with the project.
However, the project remains uncertain as Solantis has yet to make a definitive decision about the construction of the gigafactory.
The company is still evaluating whether to situate the new facility next to its existing plant in Figueruelas. Plants may include a collaboration with Chinese companies CATL, which could create approximately 3000 jobs and involve investments of around €2.5 billion.
Although Solantis has expressed appreciation for the Spanish government's backing, they emphasize that the project is contingent on various approvals.
With the latest grant, the total support from Spanish government has now reached nearly €300 million.
True Expertise Delivered
Those were the latest insights from October 2024 - make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Youtube for more updates on the Electric Vehicle Battery Production sector, including our monthly roundups in future episodes of the Battery Breakdown.
Coalesce Management Consulting provides engineering expertise across the global battery production industry. Discover more about our Advanced Engineering services or get in touch with Cain and his team.