Electric vehicle battery recycler announces new plant for Tuscaloosa County

A Canada-based battery recycler has announced plans to build a new recycling facility near Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa.

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. said its fourth North American lithium-ion battery recycling facility, or Spoke, in North America is expected to begin operations by mid-2022 and create more than 30 initial jobs.

“Our new facility in Alabama positions us well to meet the growing demand for lithium-ion battery recycling,” said Tim Johnston, co-founder and executive chairman of Li-Cycle.

Johnston said demand for lithium-ion battery recycling has continued to outperform its forecasts, which now call for a recycling capacity of 30,000 tons per year.

“This facility is essential in filling a recycling gap in the southeastern United States,” Johnson said. “This project addresses the battery repurposing proposition that must also be a part of the sustainability solution that (electric vehicles) offer.”

Li-Cycle said the Southeastern U.S. is emerging as a critical region for the lithium-ion battery supply chain, as battery makers and automotive original equipment manufacturers establish operations in the region, which will lead to the generation of significant quantities of battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries available for recycling.

Univar Solutions Inc., which previously announced a partnership with Li-Cycle to provide waste management solutions for electric vehicle and lithium-ion battery manufacturing, will be an anchor battery feed supply customer for the new Alabama facility.

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When completed, Li-Cycle’s Spoke 4 facility will have an initial capacity of up to 5,000 tons of battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries per year, bringing Li-Cycle’s total North American recycling capacity to 25,000 tons per year.

The Tuscaloosa site is also being developed to accommodate a future, second 5,000-ton processing line, which would increase capacity to 10,000 tons per year, and Li-Cycle’s total North American recycling capacity to 30,000 tons per year.

Michael Göbel, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., welcomed Li-Cycle’s plans for an Alabama facility.

Mercedes, which plans to manufacture EV sport utilities in Alabama beginning in 2022, also is working with Univar Solutions on end-of-life solutions for lithium-ion batteries.

“We have a responsibility to not only manufacture vehicles and batteries, but to be good corporate citizens in the choices we make to protect our environment and the community around us,” Göbel said. “We welcome the partnership between Univar Solutions and Li-Cycle and the strong commitment of our partners here in Tuscaloosa to push a sustainable future for mobility.”