Li-Cycle Corp. has built a lithium-ion battery recycling facility, known as the Alabama Spoke, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This facility is designed to recycle and process lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap, producing black mass that contains valuable materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
Key Details
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Size: Over 100,000 square feet, with additional 120,000 square feet of warehousing
Investment: Not specified in the search results
Capacity: 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery materials per year
Job Creation: Approximately 45 new jobs
Major Milestones
September 8, 2021: Project announcement
Mid-2022: Initial projected start of operations
October 13, 2022: Commercial operations officially began
Current Status
The facility is fully operational
It can process full EV battery packs without dismantling
The Alabama Spoke is part of Li-Cycle's network of four operating Spokes in North America
The facility leverages process improvements and optimization projects implemented at the Arizona Spoke
Future Outlook
The facility has the flexibility to expand processing capacity in the future
It supports the growing EV and battery manufacturing industry in the southeastern United States
The black mass produced at the Alabama Spoke will be sent to Li-Cycle's Hub facility in Rochester, NY, for further processing into battery-grade materials
This facility plays a crucial role in Li-Cycle's strategy to create a closed-loop battery supply chain in North America and supports the growing demand for lithium-ion battery recycling in the region 1 2 3.