Battery recycler Ascend Elements has gained quality management certification at its EV battery recycling plant in Georgia, US.
The ISO 9001:2015 certification comes from independent certification body DQS. ISO 9001 is a globally recognised standard. Its defines how to establish, implement, maintain and continually improve a quality management system. The certification process includes on-site audits and extensive policy and documentation reviews.
“This is a major achievement for any manufacturing company, but especially for a start-up organisation in an emerging field like battery recycling,” said Andrew Aberdale, CFO/COO at Ascend Elements.
Company spokesperson Thomas Frey said the plant is its first commercial-scale battery recycling facility and the first to be ISO 9001 certified. Another facility in Kentucky is still under construction.
He added: “We are generating revenue from our battery recycling operations but as a private company, we do not publish our financials.”
The Ascend facility in Covington is one of the largest EV battery recycling facilities in North America. It claims capacity to process 30,000 tonnes of used lithium-ion batteries and scrap per year. Frey said its actual processing is running at about 24,000 tonnes. The 154,000 square-foot facility contains battery discharge and disassembly processes, battery shredding, lithium extraction and analytical testing capabilities.
It produces lithium carbonate, NMC precursor and cathode active materials.
Photo: Ascend Elements’ EV battery recycling facility in Covington, Georgia. Ascend
