Permit battle delays BASF battery plant

A Finnish court has ordered BASF to delay the opening of a battery materials plant in Harjavalta, Finland , after environmental groups argued that the company's plan for dealing with sulfate waste isn't sufficient. Analysts warn that similar environmental issues could slow other firms as they race to build battery supply chains in Europe and North America. BASF's Finnish plant is a key piece of a battery supply chain the company is trying to establish in Europe . It will be able to produce 30,000 metric tons (t) per year of precursors for battery cathodes. BASF will convert the precursors into cathode powders at a facility it commissioned last year in Schwarzheide, Germany . Cathode precursors are made from sulfates of metals such as nickel and cobalt. Robert Baylis, principal at the battery supply chain consulting firm Carding Mill, says a caustic like sodium hydroxide is generally used to remove