An Australian company using new technology to greatly improve the processing of electric vehicle battery materials has acquired a well-established refinery plant in Hagen, Germany. Pure Battery Technologies (PBT), headquartered in the Australian city of Brisbane, will use the acquisition of the processing plant at Königswarter & Ebell (K&E) from TIB Chemicals AG, to produce commercial quantities of its high-quality, environmentally superior nickel and cobalt materials and sell directly to European manufacturers.
PBT is collaborating with one of the world’s largest nickel recyclers, German CRONIMET Group on its expansion into the European EV market. Together they are looking to create solutions for the emerging EV battery supply chain. PBT’s cutting-edge proprietary technology known as Selective Acid Leaching (SAL) is proven to greatly reduce the environmental footprint of producing battery ready materials.
Chairman Stephen Wilmot said the central location of the Hagen refinery would make it easier for the company to develop strong business relationships in Europe, which has some of the world-leaders in renewable energy.
“Europe is very advanced in the renewable energy game, so it makes sense that we have a presence there. Our technology will help drive the industry towards full carbon neutrality.”
PBT’s CEO, Bjorn Zikarsky said the added benefit of PBT’s approach is the ability to combine their SAL process with their Reductive Selective Acid Cobalt Leaching (RASCL) process which provides a recycling solution for LIB cathode material and potentially other nickel and cobalt containing industrial waste.
“The EV and storage battery market needs a closed loop approach to solve these problems; an approach which manages the entire life-cycle of the battery in a profitable way. That’s why our technology will be a game-changer in the industry. We are able to reduce the environmental load on new battery production and provide our proprietary recycling solution for batteries which prevents them going to landfill,” Mr Zikarsky said. PBT’s groundbreaking technology was developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia which is an award-winning university in the fields of mining and metallurgy.
