Cirba Solutions hosts US DOE representatives

Cirba Solutions, a battery recycling materials and management company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, welcomed David Crane, undersecretary for infrastructure at the U.S. Department of Energy, and Giulia Siccardo, director of the U.S. DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), to tour the expansion of the company’s Lancaster, Ohio, lithium-ion battery recycling processing facility Aug. 22.

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Rep. Balderson (R-OH-12) also attended the event, as did delegates from the city of Lancaster.

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“With Cirba Solutions’ first project from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law coming online, Lancaster, Ohio, becomes a strategic focal point in DOE’s efforts to build domestic battery manufacturing value chain, increase American competitiveness, strengthen U.S. supply chains and create good-paying, high-quality jobs for the Buckeye state," Crane said.

Cirba Solutions is investing more than $400 million in its Lancaster facility, with sulfate production slated to be operational by 2026. This expansion will provide enough battery-grade metal salts to power more than 250,000 EV batteries annually and will create more than 100 new jobs, according to the company. This expansion was made possible in part by $75 million Cirba Solutions received under the DOE’s MESC grant program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“This is a testament of how a government-enabled and private-sector-led approach can enable the future of vehicle manufacturing,” Siccardo said. “Cirba Solutions is demonstrating how a strategic commitment to a circular, domestic battery supply chain can move the U.S. forward, create incredible economic opportunity and strengthen our energy security.”

The visit Crane and Siccardo comes approximately one year after U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm took part in the facility’s celebratory groundbreaking.

“Being the first company to officially receive funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and being able to showcase the immense achievements we have made towards a more stable domestic supply chain, is something we do not take lightly,” said David Klanecky, CEO and president of Cirba Solutions. “Increasing the supply of critical materials sourced in the U.S. is crucial to our national security, our pursuit in reducing carbon emissions and our goals around building a closed-loop supply chain. The support from the DOE has made it possible for us to expand our operations and operational footprint for the growing battery industry in the U.S., which has never been seen before in North America.”