Li-Cycle To Build Lithium Battery Recycling Plant In Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL — More new high-paying jobs are on their way to Tuscaloosa. Mississauga, Canada-based Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. on Wednesday announced its plans to build a commercial lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Tuscaloosa, which will become the fourth in its North American footprint as interest ramps up for electric vehicles across the globe.

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Li-Cycle says will work begin on its Tuscaloosa facility by mid-2022 and is expected to create more than 30 new jobs initially and even more in the future. The location of the new facility has not yet been announced.

The publicly-traded company, which trades on the NYSE under the symbol LICY, says the new recycling facility will have an initial capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes of battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries per year, which will boost the company's North American recycling capacity to 25,000 tonnes per year.

“With a strategic focus on mobility and power, West Alabama is a prime location for Li-Cycle’s Spoke facility,” said Danielle Winningham, executive director for Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority (TCEDA) in a statement included with the official announcement. “We welcome Li-Cycle’s sustainable and environmentally friendly end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries, which assists meeting the demand for electric vehicle battery materials.”

The new facility will also function as a partnership of Univar Solutions, Li-Cycle and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance — as MBUSI looks to help the German luxury automaker position itself as a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing.

“We have a responsibility to not only manufacture vehicles and batteries, but to be good corporate citizens in the choices we make to protect our environment and the community around us,” said MBUSI President and CEO Michael Goebel. “We welcome the partnership between Univar Solutions and Li-Cycle and the strong commitment of our partners here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to push a sustainable future for mobility.”

Additionally, Li-Cycle said the new concept in Tuscaloosa is also being developed to accommodate a second 5,000-tonne processing line, which would increase capacity at the Tuscaloosa plant to 10,000 tonnes per year, and Li-Cycle’s total North American recycling capacity to 30,000 tonnes per year.

Li-Cycle then mentioned local support for the project, including from The Tuscaloosa County Economic Development Authority, the State of Alabama, the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and others.

"Our new facility in Alabama positions us well to meet the growing demand for lithium-ion battery recycling,” said Tim Johnston, Co-founder, and Executive Chairman of Li-Cycle. “Originally, we had planned on rolling out three commercial Spoke facilities in North America over the next five years, with a total recycling capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year. However, demand for lithium-ion battery recycling has continued to outperform our forecasts and we are now forecasting total recycling capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year. This facility is essential in filling a recycling gap in the southeastern United States."

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