Editing by Greg Gao

Chinese EV lithium-ion battery giant CATL announced a strategic partnership with German chemicals giant BASF in battery materials solutions on September 16. Covering cathode active materials (CAM) and battery recycling, the cooperation aims to develop a sustainable battery value chain and localize CATL's operation in Europe, achieving its global carbon neutrality goal.

Through cooperation with BASF, CATL(宁德时代Contemporary Amperex Technology) will form a localized lithium-ion battery recycling network and create a more secure raw material supply chain, thereby enhancing its customer service capabilities in Europe. Construction has started on CATL's first overseas factory in Thuringia, a state in east-central Germany, in 2019, and it will begin production later this year.

Zhou Jia, President of CATL, said: “Establishing a partnership with BASF is an important step for CATL's localization process in Europe. With our innovative battery technology and BASF's deep expertise in materials, we will further enhance our ability to serve our global customers and accelerate the achievement of our global carbon neutrality goals.”

As the world's largest supplier of chemicals for the automotive industry, BASF has a strong market advantage in the cathode active materials field, with manufacturing and R&D centers worldwide. BASF has a wide range of CAM product portfolios, including medium-to-high nickel, manganese-rich, and cobalt-free CAM.

BASF's CAM production has an industry-leading carbon footprint thanks to its advanced process technology, optimized clean energy mix used in the production process, a secure local raw material supply chain, and efficient supply chain logistics.

The strategic cooperation with CATL will enable BASF to work closely with the world's leading battery suppliers in CAM and battery recycling, which will further deepen BASF's battery material expertise accumulation and strengthen its global market position, the company said.