Cirba Solutions expands lithium-ion battery processing operations in Ohio

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Cirba Solutions, a battery materials and management company, has expanded its lithium-ion processing operations in Lancaster, Ohio. The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $82 million in grants, the first of which in October 2022 and the second in November, to aid in the approximately $200 million expansion, which is slated to support the circular battery supply chain, furthering the advancement of cost-effective lithium-ion battery processing and critical materials supply, the company says.  

Cirba Solutions first announced its expansion plans in Lancaster in October of last year.   

Cirba Solutions received funding under the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) grant program as part of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding highlights the first phase of more than $7 billion in total funding provided through the new bill, earmarked specifically for the battery supply chain to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and the electrical grid, the company says. 

RELATED: Cirba Solutions receives $50M investment from Marubeni Corp. 

As part of the expansion, Cirba Solutions will add a hydrometallurgical process to produce battery-grade metal salts from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and gigafactory scrap. Cirba Solutions says it will be one of the first companies in North America to use advanced technology to extract critical metals, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese, from lithium-ion batteries to supply domestic precursor and cathode active materials manufacturers. 

“With Lancaster’s long history of manufacturing and recycling expertise, the expansion of this Cirba Solutions facility will be a tremendous support to the sustainable battery supply chain centered right here in America,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm says. “The investment in this expansion, including funding awarded from the president’s Investing in America Agenda, will support this facility in extracting enough battery-grade critical minerals to power 200,000 new electric vehicles per year and will create 150 good-paying jobs that will be in demand for decades to come.” 

“This investment is crucial to the lithium-ion battery industry as demand for battery materials continues to increase,” David Klanecky, president and CEO of Cirba Solutions, says. “With the assistance of the DOE, Cirba Solutions can make even greater strides in our battery recycling efforts to complete a closed-loop supply chain in North America.” 

Cirba Solutions recently announced plans to build an EV battery recycling flagship facility in South Carolina. This facility is expected to provide premium battery-grade critical minerals to power more than 500,000 EVs annually. This expanding footprint is part of Cirba Solution’s investment of more than $1 billion in the sector over the next five years, with plans to increase its material processing capabilities by 600 percent, the company says.