Governor Hochul Announces Agreement with Canadian Firm Li-Cycle to Create Nearly 270 Jobs in Monroe County
November 30, 2022
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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State's agreement with Li-Cycle, a Canadian lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, to create nearly 270 jobs in Monroe County through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program. The company will expand its U.S. operations through a new facility known as the Rochester Hub, which is currently being constructed on a 41-acre parcel of land formerly known as Eastman Business Park South. This is in addition to Li-Cycle's first U.S. Spoke facility currently operating within the business park, which has created more than 35 jobs. The latest project is expected to create up to 269 new jobs, and more than 1,000 jobs during construction. Empire State Development has agreed to support this project with up to $13.5 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits in exchange for the job creation commitments.
"We are powering New York's cleantech economy by supporting Li-Cycle's expansion, which will not only increase our lithium-ion battery supply but also recharge our thriving energy storage industry," Governor Hochul said. "With state support, Li-Cycle is bringing over 260 new jobs to the Finger Lakes region while supporting our state's clean energy sector. My administration is committed to supporting projects that will continue to bolster our state's economic growth and create a cleaner, more resilient future for all New Yorkers."
In January 2020, Empire State Development announced that Li-Cycle would establish its first U.S.-based facility in New York State in an effort to tap into the robust lithium-ion battery supply chain available nationwide. ESD is assisting Li-Cycle with up to $13.5 million through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program once Li-Cycle starts meeting the new employment commitments. Monroe County and Greater Rochester Enterprise are also assisting with the project. Li-Cycle expects to start commissioning of the Rochester Hub facility in stages in 2023.
Li-Cycle's "Spoke" and "Hub" operations will complement each other. Li-Cycle currently has several US-based Spokes that process end-of life batteries and battery manufacturing scrap through a proprietary process which produces minimal wastewater and emissions. The primary product of Li-Cycle's Spokes is black mass, containing a number of highly valuable critical metals, including lithium, cobalt and nickel. Li-Cycle will convert the black mass into battery-grade materials at the 'Hub' in an environmentally sustainable manner, using its proprietary technologies.
The 'Spoke' operation is capable of shredding up to 5,000 tonnes per year of lithium-ion batteries. Ultimately, the "Hub" facility will receive the black mass from its' spoke locations across the US and process battery material that is equivalent to approximately 225,000 electric vehicles per year. Supplying critical battery-grade materials domestically will have an important economic, environmental, and national security impact in the US.