Li-Cycle begins operations in Arizona

ARIZONA – Li-Cycle, an industry leader in lithium-ion battery resource recovery and the leading recycler of lithium-ion batteries in North America, has announced that its Arizona Spoke facility, located in Gilbert, has begun commercial operations.

According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, the state represents a significant opportunity for lithium-ion battery recycling due to the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in the region, as well as its proximity to large markets such as California, which is expected to produce a growing supply of end-of-life batteries available for recycling for EVs, energy storage projects and consumer electronics.

Li-Cycle’s Arizona Spoke facility is the first of its kind, utilizing proprietary technology that processes entire EV battery packs without the need for manual disassembly, making recycling safer, more sustainable and labor efficient.

In addition, the facility is strategically located near the company’s battery and manufacturing scrap supply network in the southwestern United States, optimizing logistics and other efficiencies for recycling services.

“The startup of Li-Cycle’s innovative battery recycling facility strengthens Arizona’s already robust electric vehicle supply chain and sends a signal that Arizona is the place to be for electric batteries,” said Gov. Doug Ducey.

Li-Cycle held a grand opening event in early May 2022 at the 140,000-square-foot facility to make its official debut. At the ceremony, the company joined its customers, local government officials and others connected to the Gilbert community and surrounding area to celebrate a momentous occasion for the company and the region’s lithium-ion battery supply chain.

Li-Cycle’s Alabama Spoke, which has the same design as the Arizona Spoke, is scheduled to be operational in the third quarter of 2022. When the Arizona and Alabama spokes are operational, Li-Cycle will have a total processing capacity of 30 thousand tons per year.

By the end of 2023, the company expects to have a total of 65,000 tons of lithium-ion battery processing capacity per year through its spokes in North America and Europe.

Source: MEXICONOW Staff