American Energy Technologies Co. (AETC) of Wheeling, IL, USA proudly announces that it has joined the multi-year, competitively selected international consortium of SAFELOOP, whose activity is managed through the European Commission’s (“EC”) Framework Programme Horizon Europe (under Grant Agreement no. 101147342), for the development of a Gen3 Li-ion battery (“LIB”) for Electric Vehicles to be deployed on European soil. The initiative falls under the EC’s Project Horizon framework, BATT4EU Partnership and is based on the long-term Battery 2030+ roadmap. All of the aforementioned programs are focused on advancing the European Union’s renewable energy transition with the aim to make Europe a world-leader in the manufacturing of the batteries of the future.
SAFELOOP stands for “Securely Advancing Future EVs with Li-Ion batteries through Optimized Pathways”. SAFELOOP represents a collaborative effort involving 15 entities from 11 countries, comprising a blend of S&T, manufacturing, and business across Europe. Transatlantic partners, including American Energy Technologies Co. and its raw material vendors from Pittsburgh, Perth, and London are joining forces to bolster competitive material-level technologies and supply chain logistics. Under the Coordination of OULUN YLIOPISTO of Oulu, Finland, the project effort will address the following key goals at the bankable feasibility level:
Securing strategic raw material feedstocks for EV Battery supply chain in the EU;
Reducing reliance on existing Asian supply chains;
Intensifying environmental sustainability;
Optimizing energy-efficient processing at the Gigafactory and OEM scale; and
Demonstrating technological leadership across EU’s battery supply chain.
SAFELOOP’s focal point is Gen3 EU EV Li-Ion Battery (LIB) safety, encompassing the entire life cycle of LIBs within the EV space. Safety is considered in a broader sense, not just at a cell level, though the latter remains a key pillar of the activity at hand.
Material handling, component processing, battery manufacturing, safety testing per UN protocols, transport, maintenance, and recycling of active materials are all part of the project’s focus.
A Eurocentric supply chain of EV-grade battery materials will be established, minimizing the environmental and cost impact of long-distance transportation. SAFELOOP ensures that batteries and their components adhere to EU safety and environmental regulations.
Beyond enhancing EU battery safety, the project seeks to demonstrate the world's first EV-rated LIBs, manufactured at the Gigafactory scale, using up to 25% recycled and fully rejuvenated battery-active materials. This initiative paves the way for an ambitious industry-wide recycling target of 90% within the next decade, akin to today's lead-acid battery 95+% recycling rate. These environmentally responsible solutions address key aspects of automotive battery safety within the EU and beyond.
As part of its participation in SAFELOOP, AETC will be the exclusive processor of primary and recycled anode active materials, supplying battery-ready anode active materials, electrical conductivity enhancement carbon materials, and nanostructured safety additives to ASPILSAN ENERJI SANAYI VE TICARET AS (Aspilsan Energy) a European Gigafactory located in Kayseri, Turkey. Aspilsan Energy, in turn, will supply tens of thousands of 18650 cells for integration aboard 12-meter-long EV bus passenger technology platform manufactured by BOZANKAYA OTOMOTIV MAK IMALAT ITH VE IHR ANONIM SIRKETI (BOZANKAYA of Incan, Turkey). The EV bus will be demonstrated at HHL GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH (a graduate business school located in Leipzig, Germany) as part of a broader Euro-centric battery supply chain deployment planned by the SAFELOOP Consortium. The non-spherical portion of graphite manufactured by AETC as part of making anode active materials for use by Aspilsan Energy will be qualified by YUNASKO-KYIV LLC, an established supercapacitor producer located in Kyiv, Ukraine.
AETC’s Manager of Government Relations, Anna Doninger, states: “We at American Energy Technologies Co., are all so proud to have been chosen to become the sole manufacturer of silicon-enhanced graphite anodes and recycled lithium-ion batteries as a formal member of the SAFELOOP consortium. Though primarily focused to benefit the EU’s EV battery industry, we have a worldwide partnership with SAFELOOP whose impact could assist in advancing EV battery manufacturing here, in North America. It is so exciting to be at the cutting edge of technology, producing bulk quantities of EV battery-grade graphites, as well as taking discarded lithium-ion batteries from our Gigafactory partner, Aspilsan Energy, applying our Direct Recycling technology to extract cathode, anode, and separators as three isolated streams of precursors for recycling, healing anode actives, and separators so they can be looped back for reuse by the Gigafactory, along with primary produced components of the battery bill of materials. In the short time it has been since the project took off, it has been a pleasure to meet with and collaborate with our partners. We are also excited that this venture has allowed for AETC’s processes to be analyzed from a sustainability standpoint by Imperial College London, a SAFELOOP Consortium member assisting AETC in our efforts of establishing a Green Passport for our primary processed graphite and Direct Recycling technology. In working with the Consortium, we will improve the sustainability of our processes while seeking to become a cost leader in the industry sector as a result of implementing manufacturing processes which feature higher yields, advanced control automation and modern AI technologies. As a whole, our participation in SAFELOOP has been such a rewarding experience thus far and we are excited to see what unfolds through this partnership in the coming years”.
For more information about the project, please refer to the following resources and Media Links:
European Commission Factsheet: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101147342
SAFELOOP’s website: https://www.safeloop.eu/;
SAFELOOP Profile in x: x.com/SAFELOOP_EU
SAFELOOP LinkedIn Profile: