DOE secretary, senator visit Arizona Spoke

Following recent visits by heads of state such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to its lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Ontario, Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. welcomed U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly to a similar spoke facility in Gilbert, Arizona.

"The Biden-Harris administration has a vision for a clean energy economy that is powered by American workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs," said Secretary Granholm. "Companies like Li-Cycle are helping to strengthen our energy security and advance the next generation of battery manufacturing and recycling technologies – bringing Arizona and the nation one step closer to reaching our climate goals."

During the tour, Secretary Granholm and Senator Kelly were joined by Li-Cycle CEO Ajay Kochhar as they visited the spoke facility and observed lithium-ion batteries being recycled through the company's patented submerged shredding process.

Utilizing technology to directly process electric vehicle and energy storage batteries, the leaders discussed the importance of Li-Cycle's safe and environmentally friendly spoke and hub method, which plays a key role in building a cleaner, domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain in the United States.

Li-Cycle's spoke facilities reclaim cathode materials – lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese – and the anode material graphite, which is then all isolated into a mixed material known in the industry as black mass and extracted at separate hub facilities to be reused in new batteries.

"Clean energy leaders like Li-Cycle are bringing jobs back to states like Arizona and reducing our reliance on foreign sources of the critical minerals that power our modern economy," said Sen. Kelly. "I appreciate the opportunity to see their technology firsthand alongside Secretary Granholm and look forward to continuing the work to boost our clean energy manufacturing and production."

Commencing operations in 2022, the Arizona Spoke facility has a present capacity of 18,000 metric tons of lithium-ion battery material per year, with permitted future expansion potential, including flexibility to expand with a second main line.

In addition to being in a strategic location for Li-Cycle's Spoke, close to commercial customers for the sustainable supply of battery materials, Gilbert has a highly talented workforce to strengthen its working relationships with the local community, partnering with several organizations, such as the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, and many more.

"We were excited to have hosted Secretary Granholm and Senator Kelly at our Spoke recycling facility in Arizona," said Kochhar. "The southwestern region of the U.S. is experiencing rapid growth as part of North America's broader battery supply chain, and we look forward to continuing to utilize our patented technology to sustainably recycle lithium-ion batteries in the region."

Li-Cycle is on track to have its Rochester Hub in New York begin operations later this year. Designed to process up to 35,000 metric tons of black mass per year produced at its spoke facilities, including Arizona, which is enough for the batteries in 225,000 EVs.

In addition to the production of battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulfate, the Rochester Hub is expected to be the first source of recycled battery-grade lithium carbonate in North America.

"Arizona provides significant opportunities for Li-Cycle as the state continues to lead as a clean technology hub and leading battery marketplace," Kochhar added. "We are excited to continue supporting local jobs and growth of Arizona's clean tech industry."