Empire State Development (ESD) announced that Canada-based Li-Cycle Corporation will establish its first US-based Li-ion battery recycling facility in New York State. Li-Cycle Technology uses a combination of mechanical size reduction and hydrometallurgical resource recovery specifically designed for lithium-ion battery recycling.

The technology can do so with a recovery rate of 80 – 100% of all materials. The recycling process consists of two key stages:

All materials that are recovered from lithium-ion batteries are either processed to the point of being reusable in battery production, thus closing the loop, or sent for further processing to other recyclers (i.e., steel and plastics) to ensure all materials generated are being returned to the economy.

The company will set up operations at Eastman Business Park (EBP) in Monroe County in an effort to tap into the robust lithium-ion battery supply chain in the United States and the lithium-ion battery ecosystem in Rochester. Li-Cycle selected EBP for this facility after determining it as the best location for the company to provide services to its growing client base to the South and Midwest.

The company has also committed to creating a minimum of 23 jobs in its first year of operation. Li-Cycle expects to be fully operational at the facility later this year.

ESD is assisting Li-Cycle with up to $450,000 through the Excelsior Jobs Program in exchange for job creation commitments. Monroe County and Greater Rochester Enterprise are also assisting with the project. The total project cost has been placed at up to $23.3 million over a three-year period.

Founded in 2016 in Ontario, Canada, Li-Cycle was awarded a grant through Sustainable Development Technology Canada to construct a demonstration facility. With that facility fully operational, the company is now ready to undertake the first phase of its commercialization process at EBP. The company will initially occupy 57,000 square feet of a preexisting process building and is considering additional phases for the project in the coming years.

The company is capable of processing all types of lithium-ion batteries used in electronic devices, e-mobility, electric vehicles and energy storage.