Li-Cycle, a leading North American recycler of lithium-ion batteries, has launched commercial operations at an advanced recycling facility in Tuscaloosa that will support the company’s growing electric-vehicle battery supply customer base across the Southeast. Li-Cycle’s Alabama Spoke, as the facility is called, uses the company’s patented technology to recycle and process EV battery packs without dismantling them through, using a submerged shredding process that produces no wastewater.
“This facility enhances our ability to support the recycling needs of our diverse and growing customer base in North America to ensure lithium-ion battery material is recycled in an environmentally friendly and safe manner,” said Ajay Kochhar, co-founder and CEO of Li-Cycle.
“Li-Cycle is creating an essential domestic supply of recycled material to support EV production and assist automakers in meeting their domestic production content requirements,” Kochhar said.
The company, which announced plans for the Tuscaloosa facility in September 2021, celebrated its opening with a ceremony. “With EV production beginning in Alabama, Li-Cycle’s Tuscaloosa recycling facility will ensure that our state takes part in the battery repurposing proposition that is at the heart of the sustainability advantages that EVs offer,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.