LG Energy, Toyota Tsusho Form Closed-Loop Battery Recycling JV

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US-based LG Energy Solution and Toyota Tsusho Corporation have established Green Metals Battery Innovations, a joint venture company focused on battery recycling. Under the agreement signed by LG Energy Solution Michigan and Toyota Tsusho America, the two partners decided to construct and operate a pre-processing plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The new plant will handle pre-processing operations to extract black mass, which contains valuable raw metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium, by dismantling and shredding battery production scrap. In the initial stage of the joint venture’s operation, LG Energy Solution will supply scrap generated during the production of EV batteries for Japan-based Toyota Motor.

The facility is scheduled to commence operations in 2026, with an objective to achieve a maximum annual processing capacity of 13,500 tons of scrap, equivalent to over 40,000 automotive batteries.

Recycling Process

The extracted black mass will later undergo a separate post-processing stage to recover raw materials contained within. The joint venture seeks to further establish a battery-to-battery closed-loop system where those raw materials are circulated as recycled resources for new battery materials, advancing a true circular economy in the battery supply chain.

This collaboration between LG Energy Solution and the Toyota Group aims to drive carbon emissions down through circular economy initiatives. By partnering with a leading battery recycler equipped with advanced pre-processing technologies and operational know-how, LG Energy Solution intends to secure a competitive recycling infrastructure in the region.

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“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 of LG Energy Solution. “We are fully committed to leading the recycling market through innovative and differentiated technologies.”

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“We are proud to partner with LG Energy Solution to advance the battery recycling infrastructure in North America,” said Masaharu Katayama, COO of Toyota Tsusho. “This joint venture is a significant step toward realizing a circular economy for batteries, which is essential for building a sustainable mobility society