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Ascend Elements launches logistics simulation at America’s first EV battery materials (pCAM) plant

May 21, 2024

Ascend Elements has chosen Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) to create a complex logistics simulation model in anticipation of the Q1 2025 launch of its one-million-square-foot Apex 1 EV battery materials (pCAM) manufacturing facility in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

The Apex 1 campus is set to employ over 400 individuals and produce sustainable engineered battery materials for up to 750,000 electric vehicles annually.

The facility is designed to receive daily truckloads of recycled battery feedstock and ship over 450 metric tons of new, sustainable pCAM materials weekly. The logistics model developed by EY US is capable of running simulations under various scenarios to determine the most efficient operation of the plant and traffic management.

The Apex 1 facility will be the first sustainable cathode precursor (pCAM) manufacturing facility in North America. CAM and pCAM are engineered materials made to precise microstructure specifications for use in electric vehicle batteries. Ascend Elements is commercializing an ultra-efficient method to make sustainable pCAM and CAM from black mass, the traditional output of lithium-ion battery recycling facilities. The patented Hydro-to-Cathode® direct precursor synthesis process eliminates several intermediary steps in the traditional cathode manufacturing process and provides significant economic and carbon-reduction benefits.

Rodrigo Almeida, Sr. Director of Supply Chain at Ascend Elements, said, “As you can imagine, a project of this size and scope requires a lot of logistics planning. EY US is using its experience and insight to help us anticipate logistical challenges and optimize our operations to achieve world-class efficiency and minimal impact on the community.” He added, “While the plant will bring new truck traffic to the area, we are actually creating a net reduction of carbon emissions by offsetting the need to ship newly mined battery materials from Asia.”

Bruno Feitosa, an industrial engineer at Ascend Elements, shared, “We had a lot of questions about traffic flow and timing that the simulation helped us understand. How many trucks can the site accommodate at one time? Will trucks have room to queue up onsite without creating unnecessary traffic on local roads? How long will it take to load and unload each truck? Do we need to take deliveries 24 hours a day, or can we load and unload in the daytime only? Understanding the answers to these questions is essential to plan for optimal efficiency and safety.”