Redwood Materials has partnered with Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of General Motors and LG Energy Solution, to recycle production waste from battery cell plants in Warren, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. The materials to be recycled come from cathodes and anodes as well as cell scrap.
Most of the scrap stems from manufacturing process
The Ultium Cells plants each cover 2.8 million square feet and are expected to produce battery cells with an annual capacity of more than 80 gigawatt-hours. Redwood will receive the majority of the scrap from the manufacturing process. Ultium is already delivering material from its gigafactories in Ohio and Tennessee while a third plant is under construction in Michigan. With this partnership, Redwood now has contracts with most North American battery cell manufacturers.
10,000 tons of material for recycling and reprocessing
Despite efficient production rates, the average scrap rate in cell manufacturing is still five to ten percent. This equates to about 10,000 tons of material annually that Redwood will recycle and process into critical battery components. Redwood claims that processing at its plant in northern Nevada consumes around 80% less energy, generates 70% fewer carbon emissions and requires 80% less water compared to conventional processes.
First commercial lithium source in decades
The hydrometallurgical facility not only recycles scrap into raw nickel and cobalt but also serves as the only commercial lithium source brought online in the United States in decades. According to a Stanford University study, Redwoodʼs process generates at least 40% fewer emissions than other recycling methods. The facility can process more than 40,000 tons of material annually and is constantly expanding.
Source:
https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/news/redwood-ultium-cells-partnership/
