Battery recycler Li-Cycle has introduced that its Alabama Spoke plant in Tuscaloosa has began business operations.
The Alabama Spoke makes use of Li-Cycle’s patented know-how to recycle and immediately course of full EV battery packs with none dismantling by a submerged shredding course of that produces no wastewater. Li-Cycle says its full pack processing functionality improves effectivity, and might course of the rising number of EV battery architectures, together with cell-to-pack codecs which have restricted choices for dismantling.
The Alabama Spoke is strategically situated to assist the recycling wants of the corporate’s rising battery provide buyer base within the southeastern US, the place a number of battery and automotive producers are establishing operations. This progress is anticipated to provide a major quantity of battery manufacturing scrap and end-of life batteries that may require recycling.
“This facility enhances our means to assist the recycling wants of our numerous and rising buyer base in North America to make sure lithium-ion battery materials is recycled in an environmentally pleasant and secure method,” mentioned Ajay Kochhar, co-founder and CEO of Li-Cycle. “Li-Cycle is creating an important home provide of recycled materials to assist EV manufacturing and help automakers in assembly their home manufacturing content material necessities.”
The Alabama Spoke has a complete enter processing capability of 10,000 tons of lithium-ion battery supplies per 12 months, and has the pliability to increase processing capability sooner or later. It options the identical design as Li-Cycle’s Arizona Spoke, which opened earlier this 12 months and is at present working close to goal throughput.
Along with its two different North American spokes—situated in Kingston, Ontario and Rochester, New York—Li-Cycle now has a complete enter processing capability of 30,000 tons per 12 months, or the equal of batteries from roughly 60,000 EVs. By the top of 2023, the corporate expects to have a complete of 65,000 tons per 12 months of processing capability throughout its Spoke community in North America and Europe.
The first output product of Li-Cycle’s Spokes is black mass, consisting of useful metals, together with lithium, cobalt and nickel, which the corporate will convert into battery-grade supplies at its first Hub facility, which is below development in Rochester. Li-Cycle expects the Hub to be able to processing 35,000 tons of black mass yearly, with battery supplies equal to roughly 225,000 EVs. Li-Cycle goals to start commissioning the Rochester Hub in 2023.
Supply: Li-Cycle Holdings
