R3 Lithium Starts Georgia Operations With 2,500-Tonne Recycled Lithium Carbonate Line

Highlights

• R3 Lithium opened a 154,000-sq-ft Covington, Georgia facility with 30,000 MT shredding capacity and a 2,500 MT lithium carbonate production line.
• The plant demonstrated commercial-scale 99%-purity lithium carbonate from 100% recycled material in 2025, backed by $15M raised and ~$1B in offtake agreements.
• China controls nearly 65% of lithium refining and 80% of global battery recycling capacity, making U.S.-based recycling a strategic supply-chain priority.
• IEA projects recycled batteries could supply 20–30% of lithium, nickel, and cobalt demand by 2050, complementing but not replacing domestic mining.
• Key investor metrics to watch include recovery rates, feedstock cost, utilization, product qualification, and operating margins at the Covington plant.