Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the four winners of Phase III of the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, a multiphase competition that incentivized American entrepreneurs to develop and demonstrate processes that, when scaled, have the potential to profitably capture 90% of all discarded or spent lithium-based batteries in the United States for eventual recovery and reintroduction of key materials into the U.S. supply chain.
Li Industries of Blacksburg, Virginia, Renewance of Chicago, Illinois, Smartville of San Diego, California, and Titan Advanced Energy Solutions of Salem, Massachusetts, were named as the four Phase III winners and will share the $2 million prize evenly. Over its three phases, the competition awarded $5.5 million to 15 teams around the country.
As demand for consumer products such as electric vehicles, cell phones, and tablets rises, the recycling of critical materials from spent and discarded lithium-ion batteries will be essential to reducing product costs and America’s reliance on foreign component sources.
"The prize model catalyzes research and development and empowers American ingenuity,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk. “Public partnerships like the Battery Recycling Prize are critical to enhancing our national leadership in the energy marketplace.”
Read more in the DOE announcement.