LG Energy Solution turns to battery recycling for next growth outlet
LG Energy Solution said Monday it is accelerating its push into battery recycling and repurposing, positioning the sector as a key growth driver and a cornerstone of its sustainability strategy.
The initiative aims to build a closed-loop resource system spanning raw material sourcing, production, usage and recycling, allowing critical minerals to be reused in battery manufacturing.
As part of the effort, the company established a recycling joint venture, Green Metals Battery Innovations, in North Carolina last June with Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of Japan’s Toyota Group.
The facility has an annual processing capacity of up to 13,500 metric tons — equivalent to batteries from more than 40,000 electric vehicles. It specializes in preprocessing, safely shredding used batteries, and manufacturing scrap into “black mass,” which is then refined to recover key materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel for reuse in new batteries.
The move followed another joint venture formed in April last year with France’s Derichebourg, a leading metal recycling company, aimed at strengthening LG’s recycling footprint in Europe. The company said the partnership will help it respond to tightening EU regulations while advancing a sustainable battery ecosystem.
LG Energy Solution is also expanding the commercial use of repurposed batteries.
Its “EV Charging Reuse ESS,” currently operating at the Ochang Energy Plant, uses retired batteries from electric taxis that have traveled more than 100,000 kilometers. The system supports 100-kilowatt fast charging, providing enough power for an all-electric GM Bolt to travel about 300 km with a one-hour charge.
An LG Energy Solution official said,
By establishing a circular battery resource system, we aim to lead the transition to a sustainable future while enhancing customer value,
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LG Energy Solution turns to battery recycling for next growth outlet, source
