Princeton NuEnergy and SK Battery America Expand Collaboration on U.S. Closed-Loop Battery Recycling

COMMERCE, Ga., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Princeton NuEnergy Inc. (PNE) today announced its ongoing collaboration with SK Battery America (SKBA) to advance the development of a closed-loop recycling pathway for battery manufacturing scrap generated at SKBA's facilities in Commerce, Georgia.

Under the planned collaboration, PNE will receive battery manufacturing scrap from SKBA. The company is exploring a recycling facility near the manufacturing site to develop a streamlined system for battery materials recycling. Designed to process battery manufacturing scrap, the facility would recover and rejuvenate cathode active material for potential return to battery manufacturing, helping support a more integrated domestic battery supply chain.

PNE recently announced that it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to enter award negotiations for up to $50 million in support of a proposed $110 million project to develop a Cathode-to-Cathode® rejuvenation facility in the United States.

Unlike conventional recycling methods that break battery materials down into their constituent elements, PNE's direct recycling process is designed to preserve and rejuvenate the engineered structure of cathode materials.

The collaboration reflects PNE and SKBA's shared interest in improving material circularity, recovering value from battery manufacturing scrap, and strengthening domestic supply chain for critical battery materials. A localized recycling pathway also reduces reliance on imported inputs while supporting U.S. energy security and industrial competitiveness.

PNE and SKBA are continuing discussions regarding the technical and commercial framework for the collaboration.

"Our business collaboration with SK Battery America reflects growing interest in direct recycling solutions for U.S. battery manufacturing," said Chao Yan, Co-Founder and CEO of PNE. "By leveraging PNE's Cathode-to-Cathode® process, we aim to support a more localized and circular domestic battery materials supply chain."

About Princeton NuEnergy, Inc.

Princeton NuEnergy Inc. (PNE) is a U.S.-based advanced battery materials company developing and commercializing proprietary technologies for lithium-ion battery materials production. PNE's platform includes Cathode-to-Cathode® direct recycling for the production of Rejuvenated Cathode Active Material, Advanced Black Mass™ production, and additional battery-material technologies and capabilities in development. 

PNE is building a domestic battery materials platform designed to reduce production costs, strengthen critical-mineral security, and support a more resilient U.S. battery supply chain. The company has received strategic and financial support from Honda Motor Co., Ltd., LKQ Corporation, Samsung, Shell Ventures, Traxys, Wistron Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, visit www.pnecycle.com.

About SK Battery America

SK Battery America, Inc. (SKBA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of SK On and a leading developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. SKBA operates electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities in Commerce, Georgia, with a combined annual production capacity of approximately 22 GWh. The company has invested approximately $2.6 billion in its Commerce operations, supporting the continued growth of the U.S. electric vehicle and battery manufacturing supply chain.

For more information, visit: https://www.skbatteryamerica.com

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SOURCE Princeton NuEnergy