BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, today celebrated the grand opening of its new cathode materials production plant in Elyria, Ohio. The materials manufactured at the Elyria plant will be used by BASF’s customers to produce advanced lithium-ion batteries that will propel current and next-generation hybrid and full electric vehicles, helping drive the future of electromobility in North America and around the globe.
The grand opening event was attended by a number of federal, state and local officials, as well as representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), its affiliated Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and numerous BASF employees from Ohio and other parts of the company’s global manufacturing and research and development operations.
Construction of the new cathode materials plant required an investment of more than $50 million, which was supported by a $24.6 million grant from the U.S DOE. In addition, BASF was selected as one of only two licensed suppliers of ANL-patented Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese (NCM) cathode materials, which employ a unique combination of lithium and manganese-rich mixed metal oxides. The materials being produced in Elyria leverage this advanced NCM chemistry, which is particularly well suited to the production of lithium-ion batteries for automotive and other high-end applications.
The new four-story, 70,000 square foot cathode materials plant in Elyria leverages state-of-the-art production technologies, and is expected to create approximately 25 new jobs in Elyria. The operation in Elyria is supported by BASF battery materials research laboratories in nearby Beachwood, Ohio, and at the company’s headquarters site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
‘We are delighted to celebrate the launch of this new commercial-scale production plant, which highlights the strong alliance BASF has established with the US Department of Energy and the state of Ohio to deliver advanced battery materials that can provide higher energy density and greater power,’ said Frank Bozich, President of BASF’s Catalysts Division. ‘We understand that chemical innovations will be vital to making electromobility more sustainable, affordable and ubiquitous in the years ahead, and we are proud of our role in driving this progress.’
‘As the world’s leading chemical company, we see tremendous potential to secure our place as a leading supplier of materials and solutions to battery manufacturers around the globe,’ added Ralf Meixner, Senior Vice President of BASF’s global Battery Materials business. ‘The launch of this new production facility is an important milestone in this journey.’
‘BASF is helping make Ohio the Silicon Valley for clean energy manufacturing. As our reliance on foreign sources of energy grows more and more unsustainable, American consumers will turn to hybrid and fully-electric vehicles — powered by lithium-ion battery materials made by BASF,’ said Senator Sherrod Brown, who supported BASF’s DOE grant application. ‘We know how to make things in Ohio — from tires to car frames and now advanced battery materials. BASF’s Elyria plant will bring new, good-paying, cutting-edge jobs to Lorain County.’
As part of its long-term battery materials strategy, BASF will continue to work with partners in industry and science to develop materials and technologies for current and next generation lithium-ion batteries as well as for future battery systems. Additional information is available at: www.catalysts.basf.com/batterymaterials.
