According to the company’s website news release on March 22, 2023, Cirba Solutions, the most trusted and comprehensive battery materials and management company for end-of-life batteries and gigafactory scrap, announced a phase I investment of more than $300 million into a world-class lithium-ion electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling flagship facility in South Carolina. With over 30 years of experience, Cirba Solutions has paved the way for a sustainable closed-loop battery supply chain. The company is investing over $1 billion in the next five years to expand the infrastructure required to meet the growing demand for critical materials needed for EV batteries.
This will be Cirba Solutions’ eighth operational facility in North America and its fourth facility strategically located in the U.S. ‘Battery Belt’, an area where more than 15 new lithium-ion battery gigafactories or expansions have been announced between Michigan and Georgia since 2021. This flagship, industry-leading facility will bring critical battery materials to the U.S. and will focus on processing end-of-life hybrid and electric vehicle batteries, gigafactory scrap, and end-of-life consumer batteries to extract critical materials, such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium. These key metals will support the domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain and provide enough premium recycled, battery-grade materials to power over 500,000 EV batteries annually.
The over 200-acre battery materials campus will create more than 300 jobs and be located near Columbia, South Carolina in Richland County. Groundbreaking will take place this year, with operations expected to begin in late 2024.
“The State of South Carolina and Richland County have been tremendous partners in supporting Cirba Solutions’ strategy to build a sustainable battery materials supply chain,” said David Klanecky, President and CEO of Cirba Solutions. “We are proud to bring this battery materials mega-site to Richland County, which will create generational jobs in the state and support an amazing community. Additionally, it shows our commitment to provide sustainably sourced and domestic battery-grade raw materials for cathode production in North America.”
The State has been a magnet for economic development centered on sustainability and high-tech manufacturing that will bring jobs with an environmental focus to the area.
“South Carolina has worked hard to create a business environment where the electric vehicle industry can thrive, and with announcements like this it is most certainly paying off. We are proud to have Cirba Solutions as a partner as we continue to grow our already booming electric vehicle industry,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
Beyond creating jobs, Cirba Solutions is focused on partnering and giving back to the communities in which it operates through outreach and career paths. For example, its new facility will also be used as an educational and professional training center. The company will bring critical knowledge and decades of experience to the community by highlighting processing technology for end-of-life batteries. This facility will have a keen focus on clean energy, ensuring thoughtful operational practices are used in processing these materials and converting them back into reusable battery materials.
“We are thrilled to be expanding our footprint and partnering with the state of South Carolina. This flagship battery materials site is crucial to the success of North America’s battery supply chain and is strategically located to support our partners,” said Luke Kissam, Chairman of Cirba Solutions Board.
The South Carolina campus is in addition to Cirba Solutions’ expanded Lancaster, Ohio and Trail, British Columbia facilities that have been processing batteries for decades. The company’s expanding footprint is bringing hundreds of new jobs to local communities, expanding the battery and sustainability sectors, and providing critical materials for electric vehicle manufacturing.
