Ascend Elements produces first recycled lithium carbonate in North America

Ascend Elements announced the first commercial production of greater than 99% pure recycled lithium carbonate from black mass at its advanced battery recovery facility in Covington, Georgia.

The production milestone positioned the company to challenge the US' dependence on South American lithium supply chains as Western producers seek to onshore production of critical minerals, including lithium and its byproducts.

Lithium prices have recovered significantly over the last two months amid supply disruptions in China and strong demand from the EV and energy storage sectors.

Platts' assessments of lithium carbonate DDP US rose 4.7% between July 21 and Sept. 2 to $11,050/mt, after dropping in June and July to the lowest level since the assessment's launch in January 2024.

"Ascend Elements is at the center of three macro trends: Electrification, localization, and critical minerals. Our production of recycled lithium carbonate is an important milestone across all three of these trends," Linh Austin, president and CEO of Ascend Elements, said in a Sept. 3 statement.

In addition to the Covington facility, Ascend Elements plans to operate a state-of-the-art battery materials facility at a new location in Europe.

About 99.2% of US lithium carbonate imports originate from Chile and Argentina, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The company plans to scale production to more than 15,000 mt of recycled lithium carbonate annually across facilities in the US and Europe by 2027.