Ascend highlights 2025 achievements

Battery recycler Ascend Elements, Westborough, Massachusetts, recently highlighted a series of 2025 milestones it says position it for “accelerated growth” through 2026 and beyond.

Notable activities for Ascend this year include:

• European expansion backed by government support: In May, Ascend secured a $340 million nondilutive grant commitment from the Polish government to support the development of advanced precursor cathode active material (pCAM) and lithium processing capacity in Europe.
• Industry first: In September, the company claims it became the first commercial-scale producer of recycled lithium carbonate in America, with production in Covington, Georgia, and near-term expansion to Poland. Ascend says it plans to deliver more than 15,000 tons of recycled lithium carbonate annually by 2027.
• Offtake agreement: In November, Ascend executed a 15,000-metric-ton take-or-pay lithium carbonate agreement with Trafigura, assuring multiyear revenue and reinforcing market confidence in its lithium-first strategy.
• Strategic customer contract: Earlier this month, Ascend executed a nearly $1 billion supply contract with a global automaker.

“2025 was the year we proved circularity works at commercial scale, establishing Ascend Elements as North America’s most advanced platform for integrated, domestic production of essential battery ingredients with industry-leading cost and carbon footprint reduction,” Ascend President and CEO Linh Austin says. “Our momentum underscores the confidence that global partners have in our advanced recovery and manufacturing technologies and our ability to supply high-quality materials with transparency and reliability.”

Regarding its capabilities, Ascend notes that its patented Hydro-to-Cathode process “upgrades” recycled feedstock straight into high-value components, including lithium carbonate and pCAM, cutting costs, steps and reducing CO₂e by up to 90 percent over mining-based approaches. Additionally, the company claims it is the only Western firm delivering full, commercial-scale vertical integration from recycling to cathode active pCAM and battery-grade lithium carbonate today, not in pilot.

The company also claims that with its commercial production already operational in the United States, its model eliminates dependency on imported, high-impact materials.

Upon financial close expected in the first or second quarter of 2026, Ascend says it will scale its facilities in Poland and Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in order to supply its product throughout North America and Europe.

“At Ascend Elements, we believe the batteries of tomorrow are already here today, waiting to be recovered, reimagined and returned to the heart of our economy,” Austin says. “We are building more than a supply chain; we’re enabling a new era of energy independence, industrial sustainability and regional security for the U.S. and EU.

“The future belongs to those who choose to loop more, not mine more, and this year has proven that circularity isn’t just possible; it is inevitable, and it is profitable. At Ascend, we’re not just answering the world’s critical mineral challenge; we are setting the standard for how a resilient, low-carbon and transparent battery economy is built.”