Poland offers up to $320M to Ascend Elements for LIB recycling facility

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycler Ascend Elements, Westborough, Massachusetts, has been offered up to $320 million by Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology to support the construction of a precursor cathode active material (pCAM) manufacturing facility in the country.

Ascend says the cash subsidy of 1.22 billion Polish Zloty (PLN) is one of the largest grants ever offered by the country. As part of the European Union’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF), the grant is designed to support Europe’s transition to a net-zero economy.

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“This offer of support from the Polish government marks a significant step forward in Ascend Elements’ European growth strategy,” Ascend President and CEO Linh Austin says. “We are committed to building a sustainable battery materials supply chain on both sides of the Atlantic, and we greatly appreciate the ministry’s offer of significant financial support.”

Ascend says it already has identified a location in Poland for the construction of its first European pCAM facility. Austin met with Poland’s Secretary of State Michał Jaros at the ministry’s offices in Warsaw May 7 to receive the grant offer.

“Battery sector projects are a key part of PAIH’s investment portfolio,” says Pawel Pudlowski, vice president of the management board at the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH). “The Ascend Elements project is one of the largest U.S. investments in recent years, strengthening Poland’s role in the battery supply chain and supporting regional development, including technology development and cooperation with local educational institutions.”

Ascend says it plans to commercialize its technology for the manufacture of sustainable nickel, manganese and cobalt (NMC) pCAM made from recycled LIB materials at the new facility.

“We are deeply grateful for the support of the Polish government and thrilled to expand our presence in Europe,” says Tomasz Poznar, senior vice president of commercial at Ascend. “This project is more than a strategic investment in cutting-edge battery materials production—it marks a critical step in transforming Europe’s battery materials landscape. By bringing our advanced Hydro-to-Cathode technology to Poland, we aim to help bridge the growing gap in cathode precursor supply and contribute to the EU’s strategic net-zero goals by building a sustainable circular battery materials supply chain in the region.”

In 2024, Ascend and Elemental Strategic Metals established a joint venture to own and operate the AE Elemental JV battery recycling facility in Zawiercie, Poland, and the new pCAM facility in the country will solely be owned and operated by Ascend.