Battery Resourcers, a lithium-ion battery recycling and engineered materials startup, will invest $43 million to open its first commercial-scale battery recycling plant in Covington, Georgia. The project is expected to create at least 150 jobs in Newton County.

The company will open in an existing 154,000-square-foot facility, located at 9172 Industrial Drive Northeast. The processing facility will become the largest of its kind in North America when fully operational in August 2022.

“We are looking forward to becoming part of the Covington community and bringing 150 tech jobs to the area,” said Michael O’Kronley, CEO and Director of Battery Resourcers. “Automotive manufacturers are sitting on mountains of discarded batteries and scrap, and right now they have very few options for responsible and cost-effective disposal. With this convenient U.S. location and our technology, we can start to provide a sustainable solution that helps minimize the need for mining and returns valuable, battery-grade materials back into the lithium-ion supply chain.”

The strategically located facility will have the capacity to process 30,000 metric tons of discarded lithium-ion batteries and scrap annually, the equivalent of 70,000 vehicle batteries per year. Its innovative recycling process will return battery grade lithium, cobalt, and nickel back into the battery supply chain.

“As the electric vehicle industry continues its rapid growth, battery recycling has become a vital part of the supply chain, and cutting reliance on unstable areas of the globe has never been more crucial for the future,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “We are thrilled that Battery Resourcers is coming here and look forward to our continued collaboration with our partners in Newton County as they welcome another sustainability-focused company to the area. Following Rivian’s recent announcement that it would make Georgia the location of its second EV manufacturing facility and campus, this news could not come at a better time for Georgia.”

With major brand investors including Jaguar Land Rover, Orbia, TDK, TRUMPF Group, Doral Energy, and Hitachi, Battery Resourcers is revolutionizing the production of lithium-ion battery materials. Recycling batteries is only one component of the Battery Resourcers’ technology and marks a vital step in the company’s strategic expansion plans. It has also engineered a process to turn its recyclables back into critical battery materials, specifically nickel-manganese-cobalt cathodes. Those materials are then sold back to battery manufacturers.

“Metro Atlanta is the ideal location for businesses in the electric vehicle and clean energy industries,” said Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick. “Battery Resourcers will enjoy access to our engineering and manufacturing expertise from local university and technical college systems, our proximity to market, as well as the rapid growth of the industry in Georgia. Congratulations to Battery Resourcers and all of the organizations that partnered to turn this idea into a reality for metro Atlanta.”