What Pure Battery Technologies does

Pure Battery Technologies (PBT) is an Australian private company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Brisbane. It develops and commercializes proprietary, patented refining technology that processes Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) and black mass from recycled batteries into precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM), including NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and BNC (battery-grade nickel-cobalt) cathode materials for use in lithium-ion batteries. The company's core technical innovation is the bypass of the conventional metal separation phase used in standard refining, eliminating toxic solvents, high-heat requirements, and significant CO2 emissions — its processes are reported to emit up to 85% less CO2 than standard methods. The technology was developed at the University of Queensland and commercialized by the PBT team.

PBT acquired the Königswarter & Ebell Chemische Fabrik (K+E) facility in Hagen, Germany in September 2020, which currently serves as its commercial refinery permitted to produce 2,500 tonnes of nickel annually. An expansion is underway to scale pCAM capacity to 15,000 tonnes per annum at Hagen, supported by a €23M TCIF grant and an EIB investment, with production targeted for early 2028. The company is concurrently developing a much larger downstream refinery project in the Industropolis Batang Special Economic Zone in Central Java, Indonesia, planned at 44,000 tpa metal / 70,000 tpa pCAM capacity with commissioning targeted for 2028 and capital requirements in excess of USD $350M.

PBT sells pCAM and Ni chemical products directly to battery manufacturers and EV OEMs (electric-vehicle manufacturers) under a B2B (business-to-business) industrial sales model, with operations strategically located near the European EV manufacturing hub and Indonesia's domestic battery supply chain. Pre-expansion headcount at Hagen was approximately 35 employees. Revenue figures have not been publicly disclosed. Strategic feedstock and recycling partnerships include Brazilian Nickel, cylib, and Nico. Institutional backers include the European Investment Bank and EIT Australia.

Name

Pure Battery Technologies

Legal name

Pure Battery Technologies (WA) Pty Ltd

Website

https://purebatterytech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Pure Battery Technologies is an Australian battery materials refiner that uses proprietary patented chemistry to convert Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate and recycled battery black mass into low-CO2 precursor Cathode Active Material for lithium-ion battery and EV manufacturers, with operations in Germany and Indonesia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Battery Materials Refining

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (331410)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Materials Refining & Re-Manufacturing Feedstocks (Li, Ni, Co, Mn, Graphite Salts) (EUAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery Raw Materials Mining & Refining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Graphite) (EUAFABAA), Battery Dismantling, Discharge & Pre-processing (Safe Handling, Shredding, Black Mass Production) (EUAFACAB), Battery Recycling & Materials Recovery (Li-ion, LFP, Flow, Lead-Acid) (EUAMALAE), Battery Scrap & Recycling Feedstock (Lead-Acid, Li-ion Black Mass Feedstock, NiMH) (IMAKAMAH)

Keywords

• Battery material refining
• Precursor cathode active material
• Low-emissions refining technology
• Lithium-ion battery materials
• Black mass recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. pCAM (Precursor Cathode Active Material) Sales: Processing and refining MHP and black mass into high-quality pCAM for lithium-ion batteries, sold to EV manufacturers and battery producers. Revenue generated through product sales with contracts tied to material supply agreements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Pure Battery Technologies refines intermediate raw materials such as Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) and black mass from recycled batteries into high-quality precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM), including NMC and BNC cathode materials, for use in lithium-ion batteries. The company uses a proprietary low-emissions refining process, originally developed at the University of Queensland, that bypasses the conventional metal separation phase, producing pCAM with up to 85% less CO2 emissions than standard refining methods.

Product overview

Pure Battery Technologies is a battery material refiner offering a portfolio of precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM) products for lithium-ion batteries. The company's core offering centers on its proprietary patented technology that refines Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) or black mass from recycled batteries into high-quality NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) cathode materials and BNC materials—bypassing the traditional energy-intensive metal separation phase. PBT operates commercial refining operations at its Hagen, Germany facility (Königswarter & Ebell) and is developing an Indonesian refining project in Central Java. The company positions itself as a green battery materials supplier with up to 85% less CO2 emissions than standard refining methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Königswarter & Ebell: Commercial refinery brand in Hagen, Germany producing Ni chemical products and pCAM materials

Products and services

• pCAM (Precursor Cathode Active Material) High-quality precursor Cathode Active Material for lithium-ion batteries, refined from Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) or black mass from recycled batteries using PBT's proprietary low-emissions refining technology. Sold to EV manufacturers and battery producers under B2B supply agreements.
• NMC Cathode Materials Nickel, Manganese, and Cobalt (NMC) cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, produced directly using PBT's patented processes that skip the metal separation phase, enabling customizable ratio specifications to meet client needs.
• BNC Materials Battery-grade Nickel Cobalt (BNC) materials produced using PBT's proprietary processing technology at the Hagen facility, supplied as feedstock for lithium-ion battery cathode production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% less CO2 emissions compared to standard refining methods
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Non-binding MOU signed for supply and processing partnership. Nico to supply nickel materials to PBT for processing into battery-grade materials.
• cylibcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025MOU signed between cylib and PBT for collaboration on battery recycling and materials processing.
• Brazilian NickelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025MOU signed for nickel and cobalt supply from Brazilian Nickel's Piauí project in Brazil, supporting PBT's refining capacity and providing feedstock for battery materials production.
• Königswarter & Ebell Chemische Fabrik (K+E)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired in September 2020, K+E facility in Hagen, Germany serves as PBT's commercial refinery and demonstration platform. Facility has continued operating as a quality producer of Ni products.
• University of Queensland (UQ)coreTechnology or IntegrationPBT's technology was first discovered at UQ and later commercialized by the PBT team. Ongoing commitment to R&D with experienced scientists and engineers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Li-Cycle: N American-listed battery-recycling and black-mass processor with hydrometallurgical refining technology. Comparable as a low-emissions battery-materials refiner handling secondary feedstock (black mass), though currently navigating financial restructuring.
• cylib: German battery recycling startup using a hydrometallurgical black-mass process. PBT has a June 2025 MOU with cylib; comparable as an EU-domiciled, sustainability-focused battery-materials company with overlapping feedstock (black mass) processing capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Eramet: French mining and metallurgy group with nickel operations in New Caledonia and a major HPAL/pCAM project (DPM) in Indonesia. Comparable as an integrated nickel-refining major increasingly pivoting toward battery-grade chemicals.
• BHP Nickel West: Australian-domiciled nickel miner and refinery operator (Kwinana) producing nickel sulphate for the battery market. Comparable as a domestic-Australia, EU- and Asia-supplying battery nickel refiner with operating refining assets.
• BASF Battery Materials: Diversified chemical giant with a Schwarzheide (Germany) pCAM/CAM operation and a JV with POSCO for CAM. Operates as a large global incumbent with overlapping pCAM products and EU-domiciled low-carbon positioning.

Direct peers

• Huayou Cobalt: Chinese integrated nickel/cobalt refiner and pCAM producer with major Indonesian HPAL operations (Pomalaa, Sorowako JV). Direct comparator on integrated nickel-to-pCAM economics and Indonesian footprint.
• Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a major Rechargeable Battery Materials division producing NMC pCAM and CAM. Closest direct competitor to PBT in EU-domiciled, low-CO2 pCAM for automotive cell makers and similar OEM/automotive customers.
• CNGR Advanced Material: Chinese pCAM producer with large MHP-to-pCAM integration and Indonesia nickel processing exposure. Closest peer on Indonesia-side nickel-to-pCAM integration, representing the main Asian competitive benchmark for PBT.
• POSCO Future M: South Korean pCAM and CAM producer with significant global capacity expansion (including Gwangyang). Directly comparable in product (NMC pCAM) and customer base (cell makers supplying global EV OEMs), though at substantially larger scale.
• Ecopro BM: Korean high-nickel CAM/pCAM specialist supplying Samsung SDI, SK On, and LG. Directly comparable in high-Ni NMC pCAM chemistry focus and EV cell-maker customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pure-battery-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pure Battery Technologies