The U.S. Battery Circular Economy Advances with PNE's South Carolina Flagship Recycling Facility

Company takes a major step to ensure a secure U.S. battery supply chain

CHESTER, S.C., Aug. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Princeton NuEnergy Inc. (PNE), a U.S. company headquartered in Princeton, NJ and a global leader in lithium-ion battery direct recycling, materials rejuvenation, and cathode manufacturing today reports that its Advanced Black Mass (ABM™) recycling production facility is fully commissioned and operational. 

Located in Chester, South Carolina, PNE's Flagship Recycling Facility is the nation's first commercial-scale Advanced Black Mass and battery-grade cathode active material production facility (both NCM and LFP chemistries), demonstrating the company's ability to regenerate and produce critical battery minerals domestically.

"In Chester, we demonstrate that the United States can lead in battery materials recovery and manufacturing — not years from now, but today," stated Dr. Chao Yan, PNE's Co-Founder and CEO "Our team's execution has been exceptional, and this facility is our next major advancement in the battery supply chain space," Dr. Yan concluded, "United States policy is focused on creating a secure domestic energy production and supply chain, and PNE is at the forefront with our best-in-class technology and manufacturing processes."

PNE's 5,000 tpa Flagship produces a consistent, high-purity ABM™ from manufacturing scrap using a proprietary advanced recycling process. Fully permitted and compliant with all U.S. and state environmental and operational standards, the Chester facility operates under strict SOPs to ensure safety, traceability, and material quality.

The operation has achieved a recovery yield exceeding >97%, surpassing industry norms and producing high-value downstream feedstock for battery production. In 2026, the Chester facility's capacity will expand to 15,000 tpa, with the capability to scale up to 50,000 tpa as market demand grows.

PNE currently operates a joint pilot facility with a co-located partner in McKinney, Texas that is further advancing its direct recycling technologies and capabilities. Nationally, PNE is building a network dedicated to U.S. closed-loop battery material recovery and production. In Princeton, New Jersey, PNE has launched a Materials Testing Center, the largest in the U.S. northeast, for third-party validation and downstream application testing, providing a critical resource to accelerate United States battery manufacturing.

About Princeton NuEnergy
Princeton NuEnergy (PNE) is a leader in lithium-ion battery direct recycling, advancing America's circular battery economy. Founded at Princeton University, PNE is transforming the critical materials supply chain with its patented direct recycling technology for lithium-ion batteries. The company's low-temperature plasma-assisted separation process (LPAS™) produces battery-grade cathode and anode materials that can be directly reused in cell manufacturing—achieving a 38% reduction in cost and a 69% lower environmental footprint compared to conventional methods.

PNE has secured over $55 million in grants and strategic and venture funding, with support from Honda Motor Co., Ltd., LKQ Corporation, Samsung, Shell Ventures, Wistron Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

PNE was recently recognized by TIME Magazine and Statista on both America's Top GreenTech Companies 2025—for the second consecutive year—and the inaugural World's Top GreenTech Companies 2025.

For more information, visit www.pnecycle.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Arsalan Khan
[email protected]

SOURCE Princeton NuEnergy