Ascend Elements has committed $1 billion in Hopkinsville, Kentucky to develop Apex 1, a commercial-scale battery recycling and manufacturing facility. This facility is a first for the United States and is part of a broader effort to onshore the battery supply chain. At present, batteries and battery materials are largely produced in China. Nearly a third of the facility’s investment is being provided by a Department of Energy grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
To gain a better understanding of the impact on the ground, we traveled to Hopkinsville, Kentucky to tour Apex 1 and conduct on-site interviews. This case study explores how Ascend’s significant investment, bolstered by federal support, advances the build-out of a robust domestic EV manufacturing supply chain. Further, it delineates the challenges the facility has faced and will face due to changes in economic conditions and the political landscape. Finally, this case study shows how this investment is supported by and supporting a community eager to grow by embracing the manufacturing of new technologies.
This report was supported by funding from the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Jobs through the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
