The U.S. Department of Energy is launching a new, $15 million Lithium Battery Recycling Research and Development Center at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont. According to a release from Congressman Dan Lipinski’s office, the DOE will also launch a lithium-ion battery recycling prize, which will offer $5.5 million in cash prizes for technologies that can profitably recover lithium from 90 percent of the lithium battery types on the market.
“Argonne has a long history of developing new clean energy technologies and bringing them to market,” Lipinski said in a release. “Today’s announcement demonstrates one more way they are investing federal research dollars to remove barriers to a renewable energy future. Their focus on cost-effective, market-ready solutions will help ensure that the energy technology of tomorrow is made in the USA.”
According to his office, Lipinski has been a strong supporter of clean energy research at Argonne throughout his time in Congress. In 2012, he supported the creation of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research at Argonne and in 2018, he successfully fought to renew its funding.
“This is an exciting time as applications for energy storage continue to expand,” Argonne Director Paul Kearns said in a release. “Together, the DOE and Argonne have made pivotal discoveries in advanced materials, chemistry and engineering that have made batteries safer and longer-lasting. We are proud to pioneer the first scale-up and pilot test facilities to enable cost-efficient battery recycling, helping to drive U.S. prosperity and security.”
