Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Firm Plans Georgia Plant, But Taxpayer Incentives Are Unknown

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square Georgia

August 18, 2022

(The Center Square) — A Korean lithium-ion battery recycler plans to locate its first U.S. recycling facility in northeast Georgia.

SungEel Recycling Park Georgia, a subsidiary of Korean-based SungEel HiTech Co. Ltd., plans to invest more than $37 million to build a Stephens County facility. As part of the project, the company plans to create 104 jobs.

As is typical for jobs classified as in progress, state officials declined to divulge whether the state offered any incentives to entice SungEel Recycling Park Georgia to build in The Peach State or what it might cost Georgia taxpayers.

"SungEel HiTech’s entry into Georgia is the last piece of the puzzle to build a sustainable ecosystem of Georgia’s electric vehicle supply chain," Suk Jae Yim, a representative of SungEel Recycling Park Georgia, said in an announcement.

SungEel uses a complete circulatory system to recycle technology. Its system recycles battery manufacturing scrap and batteries at the end of their lives, recovering nickel, cobalt and lithium.

The company expects to start operations at its Stephens County facility in early 2024.

Georgia leaders have targeted EV companies and related businesses to locate facilities in the state. Georgia officials have announced more than 20 EV-related projects since 2020, including offering $1.8 billion in incentives to lure Hyundai Motor Group to locate its first fully dedicated EV and battery manufacturing facility in the state.

Georgia officials announced the SungEel Recycling Park Georgia project the same day they announced that the number of jobs in the state hit an all-time high. The number of jobs increased by more than 12,000 between June and July and nearly 5% over the year.

"Georgia’s jobs numbers continue to climb reinforcing the state’s position as one of the nation’s best places to find employment," Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said in an announcement. "These all-time highs in multiple sectors demonstrate the employment opportunities the state is experiencing across the board."

The focus of the work of The Center Square Georgia is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.