American legacy automaker General Motors, through its joint venture with LG Energy Solution, has teamed up with Redwood Materials to recycle its battery production scraps at its existing Ohio and Tennessee factories.
Deal covers GM’s battery production scrap in the US
According to the press release, Redwood Materials partnered with Ultium Cells LLC to recycle the battery production scrap from its facilities in Warren, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.
The two battery plants are reportedly each 2.8 million-square-foot operations that seek to exceed 80 GWh combined annual battery capacity.
Redwood will receive the majority of the scrap from the manufacturing process. The material coverage includes both cathode and anode, as well as battery cell scrap.
Redwood redefines battery material production sustainability
Redwood plans to recycle Ultium’s scrap and process it into high-quality battery materials. It will then supply the recycled product to battery cell manufacturers as locally produced anode and cathode components.
Battery cell manufacturing still sees a 5%-10% average scrap rate, which equates to ~10,000 tons of material per year for Redwoon to recycle.
Redwood boasts that its battery recycling approach is much more sustainable than conventional processes. It sets high-efficiency standards by utilizing 80% less energy, generating 70% less CO2 emissions, and requiring 80% less water.
Partnership strengthens North American battery supply chain
With this groundbreaking collaboration, Redwood Materials now has contracts with most of the North American market’s battery cell makers.
In addition, it aligns with Redwood Material’s objective to establish the region’s solid and sufficient battery supply chain. The American battery recycler and Ultium Cells can also aid the swift shift to electric vehicles and a clean energy economy.
As car and cell companies continue to boost domestic production, Redwood pledges to support this industry growth with its innovative battery materials process.
