BASF expands cathode active material production capacity in China

BASF said on June 15 that its controlled joint venture (BASF: 51%; Shanshan: 49%), BASF Shanshan Battery Materials Co., Ltd., is expanding its batteries in Changsha, Hunan and Shizuishan bases in Ningxia. Material capacity to meet the needs of the fast-growing electric vehicle market locally and globally.

BASF's new Shanshan production line is designed to be highly flexible and can be used to manufacture an advanced portfolio of cathode active materials to meet the diverse needs of customers, including polycrystalline and monocrystalline high-nickel and ultra-high nickel-nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) oxides, and manganese-rich (Mn-rich) nickel-cobalt-manganese products. The expansion project will increase BASF Shanshan's annual production capacity of cathode active materials (CAM) to 100,000 tons.

At present, BASF Shanshan's manganese-rich products have achieved ton-scale production. The development process of this material will be further accelerated and its application in the client-side widened.

The first batch of new production lines after the expansion will start running in the fourth quarter of 2022.