Ascend Builds Out the Domestic Battery Supply Chain

Ascend Elements has committed $1 billion in Hopkinsville, Kentucky to develop Apex 1, a commercial-scale battery recycling and manufacturing facility for precursor cathode active materials (pCAM). This facility is a first for the United States and is part of a broader effort to onshore the battery supply chain. At present, pCAM is largely produced in China. Nearly a third of the total facility investment is being provided by a Department of Energy grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Hopkinsville is a town of about 30,000 residents with a long-standing agricultural history, strong ties to the local army base, and a burgeoning industrial presence. Since late 2022, the investment by Ascend Elements has created more than 1,000 construction jobs and will provide over 400 permanent positions for the local community when manufacturing begins in late 2026, bringing new revenue to the city. Further, Ascend is investing in Hopkinsville by supporting affordable childcare and transportation services, in addition to providing funding to the local community college for upskilling. Altogether, Apex 1 will deliver a projected $4.4 billion in economic benefits to Kentucky over its construction period and first decade of operation.

The delivery of economic benefits was spurred by two federal tax incentives—the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (45X) and the New Clean Vehicle Credit (30D). Ascend Vice President of Government Affairs Roger Lin emphasized the importance of continuing these incentives: “[t]he goal to wean the United States off of Chinese supply chain dependence remains regardless of who's in the White House or in control of Congress, and we are squarely in the center of that, so we look forward to continued support.”