Establishing Sustainable Supply Chains for Battery Raw Materials

Canada plays a key role in establishing sustainable supply chains for batteries. The country has minerals and metals required to produce high-performance battery cells. On 20 February 2024, a Canadian delegation from the fields of research, development and battery cell production visited MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB to explore cooperation opportunities for a resource-efficient supply chain of these materials and to get to know Münster as a battery location more intensively.

Pushing Ahead with Energy Transition Together

For more than five years, Canada has been intensifying its activities to use the country's raw material deposits responsibly for global supply chains. The minerals – including some critical materials – are essential for modern technologies, not only for batteries, but also for solar cells, semiconductors and wind turbines, for example. The Canadian Government aims to use these raw materials responsibly: from extraction and production to recycling. “We need strong cooperation partners to establish sustainable processes and supply chains,” emphasizes Cliff Singleton, Trade Officer at the Consulate of Canada in Munich. “Due to its strong battery ecosystem, Münster is a particularly attractive hub for joint projects.”

Combining Strengths – Developing Sustainable Processes

With MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and further university working groups, Helmholtz Institute Münster of Forschungszentrum Jülich, the Fraunhofer FFB as well as strong international industrial companies, Münster has established itself as a hotspot for battery research and development. More than 500 players are working on the production of sustainable battery systems. Local institutions such as the Technology Promotion Agency Münster and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Nord Westfalen continuously support this development.

Dr Falko Schappacher, Managing Director of MEET Battery Research Center, identifies enormous potential in the collaboration: “Canada is rapidly becoming an important and reliable supplier of battery raw materials. With our expertise in materials research, analytics, battery cell production and its scaling-up, we can support Canada in further strengthening this position.” Discussed cooperation opportunities will now be further specified and transferred into project ideas.