New recycling plant in Ohio will supply minerals for 200k EV batteries a year
Cirba Solutions, a battery materials management specialist, recently held a groundbreaking event for the expansion of its lithium-ion processing operations in Lancaster, Ohio.
The more than US$200 million expansion is aided in part by an over $82 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant, which is slated to support the circular battery supply chain and further the advancement of cost-effective lithium-ion battery processing and critical materials supply.
Cirba Solutions became the first company to officially receive funding under the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) grant program as part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding highlights the first phase of more than $7 billion in total funding provided through the new bill, earmarked specifically for the battery supply chain which aims to expand US-based manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and the electrical grid.
As part of the expansion, Cirba Solutions is adding a hydrometallurgical process to produce battery grade metal salts from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and gigafactory scrap.
“This investment is crucial to the lithium-ion battery industry as demand for battery materials continues to increase. With the assistance of the DOE, Cirba Solutions can make even greater strides in our battery recycling efforts to complete a closed-loop supply chain in North America – with the expansion of our Lancaster, Ohio facility tremendously helping us with our growth trajectory,” said David Klanecky, president and CEO of Cirba Solutions.
Upon completion, the Lancaster facility will produce enough premium battery-grade critical minerals to power more than 200,000 EV batteries annually.
Additionally, Cirba Solutions recently announced plans to build an EV battery recycling flagship facility in South Carolina that is expected to provide premium battery-grade critical minerals to power over 500,000 EVs annually. This expanding footprint is part of its investment of more than $1 billion in the sector over the next five years, with plans to increase its material processing capabilities by 600%.