Redwood Materials will supply Panasonic with recycled battery cathode material starting in 2025, shipping remanufactured components to the battery maker’s recently-announced Kansas factory.
The companies announced on Tuesday that the multi-billion dollar deal will be the first time companies will produce cathodes at a Gigafactory scale. The materials will then be used in U.S. battery cell manufacturing. The domestic supply chain and production of EV batteries is crucial to enforcing the Inflation Reduction Act, which will prioritize and reward companies that build EV cells in the U.S.
Redwood said global demand for lithium-ion batteries is set to expand by more than 500 percent in the next decade. Cathode material needs to be affordable and accessible, and Redwood’s ability to recycle metals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt will decrease costs while meeting demand.
Redwood’s recycling efforts have been combined with various manufacturers and suppliers, outlining a ramp-up of 100 GWh production by 2025. By 2030, the company expects to produce both anode and cathode materials to 500 GWh yearly, enough for five million EVs.
Suppliers like Panasonic are coming on board for domestic efforts. The company recently announced a new facility in Kansas that will come online in 2025. Redwood’s recycling business will be right there to help run the facility off the ground.
Redwood and Panasonic have partnered since 2019 as the company has recycled battery materials from Gigafactory Nevada, where Panasonic operates with Tesla. Redwood also has partnerships with Volvo, Ford, and Volkswagen, increasing cell recycling efforts as more EVs hit the road.
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