Hopkinsville Mayor Wendell Lynch joined state, federal, and local officials to break ground on a new plant that involves a nearly $1 billion investment and up to 400 new jobs. Ascend Elements manufactures battery materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries. The Hopkinsville plant will be the company’s largest U.S. facility and the single largest investment in western Kentucky.

The company first announced plans in August to develop the Kentucky plant. The project grew after the U.S. Department of Energy provided $480.58 million to support the construction of the 450,000-square-foot facility. The federal funding comes from the Battery Materials Processing and Battery Component Manufacturing and Recycling program, which aims to ensure electric vehicle battery production in the United States.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell touted the investment and its impact on Kentucky and the nation. “The national security benefits from this project – which will allow us to source important battery components domestically instead of from rival countries like China – only add to the significance of this grant for our country,” he said.

Once operational, the facility will produce enough recycled battery materials to equip up to 250,000 electric vehicles per year. Ascend plans to have the plant fully operational in 2024.

“The citizens of Hopkinsville are very excited to welcome Ascend Elements as a new corporate partner,” Mayor Lynch said. “We look forward to a mutually bright future of growth and prosperity.”