A solar power facility that will also feature the United States’ first cobalt sulfate production facility has been granted a special use permit by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors.
The facility will be built on 138 acres of vacant desert at the NWC of the alignment of Avenue 47½ E and Old Highway 80.
Cobalt is an essential component in manufacturing batteries for electronic vehicles. Most cobalt is currently produced in Africa and processed in China. The planned facility from EVelution Energy will be the first in the U.S., and company officials say their goal is to move cobalt processing back to America.
The 28.4MW solar farm on the site will be used to power the processing plant, and approximately 70% of the water used will be recycled.
The project is expected to create more than 1,200 construction-related jobs during development and 60 jobs when the facility is up and running.
EVelution expects the facility to be operational in late 2025 or early 2026. (Source)
