EV Battery Recycling
Despite what you may have read, electric car sales continue to grow in North America, with sales increasing month-over-month and year-over-year as more and more drivers discover the benefits of electrified driving. Indeed, since the introduction of the Nissan Leaf, and later the Tesla Model S, EVs have been mainstream for more than a decade – meaning more vehicles are reaching the end of their useful lives, their batteries ready to be recycled for use in new EVs. That’s because, unlike fossil fuels, the minerals inside a battery are infinitely recyclable, helping to create a circular lifecycle for these expensive materials.
Recycled Lithium Ion for EV Batteries
The latest development in the burgeoning EV battery-recycling space is a new lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Rochester, New York, which will be operated by Li-Cycle. Once it’s up and running, Li-Cycle’s Rochester “hub” will be the third of three facilities, the other two being located in Gilbert, Arizona, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The new Rochester hub will actually aggregate source materials – end-of-life batteries and battery manufacturing scrap – from other locations for processing. Its output? Battery-grade lithium carbonate that can be used in batteries for new electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.
Once fully operational, the new Li-Cycle Rochester hub will employ over 200 people, and will output enough lithium carbonate to help produce over 180,000 electric vehicles annually in the U.S. – enough to save the use of 71 million gallons of gasoline per year, and eliminate the emission of more than 633,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. Construction of the facility is also expected to create 825 jobs at its peak.
Department of Energy Support
The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting Li-Cycle with a $475 million loan to help finance the construction of the facility, which will reinforce efforts to locate critical mineral supply chains, including battery production for new EVs, in the U.S., helping the country meet the demand for EVs without the risk of relying on foreign countries for the most important battery components.
Like other projects the DOE has invested in, the goal of Li-Cycle’s new Rochester hub is – in addition to recycled battery materials – to create good-paying jobs and economic and environmental benefits for the surrounding community.
Strengthening Local Community
In that vein, Li-Cycle has committed to hiring local labor from counties surrounding the new hub, including disadvantaged communities in the area, for all construction jobs. Li-Cycle is also engaging with local contractors, labor groups, and the local industrial development agency to drive local labor participation in the construction.
The new facility will also rely on a local workforce for day-to-day operations, including Rochester Works, a non-profit workforce and employment services provider offering programs and services for candidates at every stage of their career. Key efforts that Li-Cycle will launch in the community include work experience programs, job readiness training (including with the State University of New York Rochester Educational Opportunity Center), employability assessments, and other services.
The new Rochester hub is another step towards a clean energy future in the U.S., with secure supply chains for critical minerals and EV batteries.
