BASF in CAM deals

BASF has agreed to partner with China’s SVOLT on the supply of cathode active materials (CAMs), R&D into sustainable battery materials and the ultimate recycling of battery cells. They will also assess joint upstream resourcing to strengthen the security of raw material supply. Financial terms were not disclosed.

SVOLT specialises in cobalt-free and solid-state batteries, claiming to have a unique high-speed stacking technology as well as automotive-grade AI intelligent manufacturing. It has R&D centres in China, plus others in Japan, Korea and India. BASF, meanwhile, has what it calls “a broad portfolio of mid- to high-nickel, manganese-rich, cobalt-free CAMs”.

This followed on from a similar partnership with new energy technologies firm Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), which plans to build its first lithium-ion battery in Europe, at Leipzig. BASF said that the collaboration “aims at developing a sustainable battery value chain, in support of CATL’s localisation in Europe and contributes to achieving both companies’ global carbon neutrality goals”.