Korea-based lithium-ion battery maker LG Energy Solution and Japanese electric vehicle (EV) company Toyota Tsusho have established a new battery recycling joint venture in the US called Green Metals Battery Innovations.
A pre-processing facility to extract black mass by dismantling and shredding battery production scrap has been announced for construction in North Carolina.
Black mass is a key material for battery recycling and contains nickel, cobalt and lithium.
LG Energy Solution will first supply scrap generated during the production of EV batteries for Toyota Motor in the first stage of the joint venture’s operation.
The facility is scheduled to start operating in 2026 with the objective to build up to an annual processing capacity of 13,500 tons of scrap, which the firm said is the equivalent to 40,000 automotive batteries.
The black mass will undergo a separate post-processing to recover the raw materials.
The new joint venture seeks to further establish a battery-to-battery closed-loop system, to develop a circular economy in the battery supply chain.
“This joint venture will not only help secure a stable supply of key battery materials but also enhance the competitiveness of our recycling business in North America,” said Chang Beom Kang, CSO, LG Energy Solution. “We are fully committed to leading the recycling market through innovative and differentiated technologies.”
Masaharu Katayama, COO, Toyota Tsusho, said, “We are proud to partner with LG Energy Solution to advance the battery recycling infrastructure in North America. This joint venture is a significant step toward realising a circular economy for batteries, which is essential for building a sustainable mobility society.”
Image: Toshimitsu Imai, CEO of Toyota Tsusho, Masaharu Katayama, COO of Toyota Tsusho, Chang Beom Kang, CSO of LG Energy Solution, and David Kim, CEO of LG Energy Solution (left to right). Credit: LG Energy Solution.
