Li-Cycle will operate its sixth and largest lithium-ion battery recycling Spoke facility co-located at the Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing mega-factory site in Warren, Ohio. Ultium Cells is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution. This new Spoke continues Li-Cycle’s strategic execution and focus on growing its integrated Spoke & Hub network in North America, including through commercial partnerships.

The new Spoke facility will support Li-Cycle’s previously announced multi-year agreement to process the battery manufacturing scrap from that mega-factory. Ultium Cells will construct a new building for the recycling facility, and Li-Cycle will install and operate its proprietary Spoke technology and equipment at the facility after construction is complete.

The co-located Spoke will enhance Li-Cycle’s ability to serve Ultium Cells’ recycling needs by providing on-site conversion of battery manufacturing scrap to intermediate products.

Li-Cycle expects its Ohio facility to substantially reduce the costs associated with moving and handling battery manufacturing scrap materials, given its proximity to Ultium Cells’ mega-factory. The new Spoke facility will also be optimized for the particular types of battery manufacturing scrap generated at the Ultium Cells plant, enhancing production efficiency.

The co-location represents an innovative model for Li-Cycle’s continued execution of its global Spoke & Hub model.

Once complete, Li-Cycle’s Ohio Spoke facility will have the capacity to process up to 15,000 tonnes of battery manufacturing scrap and battery materials per year, bringing Li-Cycle’s total global recycling capacity to 55,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery input per year.

The Spoke facility is expected to be operational in early 2023 and is anticipated to create at least 35 new jobs. The primary output product of the Spoke will be black mass, a powder-like substance consisting of a number of highly valuable materials, including lithium, cobalt and nickel, which Li-Cycle will convert into battery grade materials at its Hub facility in Rochester, New York, scheduled for completion in 2023.