Cirba and Volta to partner on battery supply chain

Charlotte-based Cirba Solutions, a large, comprehensive battery materials processor for end-of-life batteries and gigafactory manufacturing scrap, has announced that it has agreed to partner with Volta Energy Technologies LLC, a Warrenville, Illinois-based venture capital firm backed by some of the biggest names in energy and energy storage materials.

Working with an established leader in the battery recycling industry with more than 30 years of experience fits within Volta’s model of connecting innovators and companies to enable advancements in batteries, storage and related technologies for electric vehicles (EVs), electric power and other applications. Cirba Solutions and Volta will collaborate in numerous strategic areas to advance a closed-loop ecosystem for battery materials. The transition to electrification is accelerating, and, with lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing expected to reach more than 900 gigawatt hours (Gwh) of capacity by 2030 in North America, organizations are looking for partnerships today to help with the growing demand for critical materials for their facilities.

“We look forward to working with Cirba Solutions,” Volta CEO Jeff Chamberlain says. “Their vertically integrated approach and decades of expertise are valuable at a time when companies need a trusted solution to support battery material requirements and their efforts to establish a sustainable, circular economy.”

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Cirba Solutions has established industry-leading capabilities in collection, logistics, processing and scalable programs for EVs and post-consumer batteries. The partnership with Volta will bring advancements to the battery materials sector through a holistic approach to the circular battery supply chain, providing added value and significant benefits to manufacturers.

Aided by more than $82 million in grants recently awarded through the Department of Energy from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more than $300 million in investment from EQT Infrastructure and Marubeni Corp., Cirba Solutions, through an expanding footprint and technology roadmap, is among the leaders in creating the closed-loop battery recycling landscape.

“The battery materials market is at a turning point. Working with Volta’s trusted and highly regarded team is an incredible privilege and will enable us to be on the leading edge of technology and strategic partnerships,” Cirba Solutions President and CEO David Klanecky says. “We both share the passion for innovation and providing a solutions-oriented approach for the market.”

Cirba Solutions and Volta will deliver value for the sustainable battery supply chain by providing cost-effective solutions and enhancing the growing domestic manufacturing needs by using regional battery materials to enhance recycled battery content for lithium-ion batteries.