Highlights
- EVelution Energy LLC has begun installing steel mounting piles across a 150-acre solar site in Yuma County, Arizona.
- The 28 MW array will power a cobalt processing facility expected to reach commercial operation by end of 2029.
- The $450 million facility is projected to produce up to 20,000 metric tons of EV battery-grade cobalt sulfate annually.
- Solar construction is expected to continue through 2026 and into 2027, with Aquila Energy serving as the solar EPC contractor.
EVelution Energy LLC has broken ground on a 28-megawatt solar facility in Yuma County, Arizona, beginning installation of permanent steel mounting piles across a 150-acre site that will power what the company describes as the first commercial-scale cobalt metal and cobalt sulfate processing facility in the United States.
Construction began with the installation of the first permanent steel mounting piles across the project's 150-acre solar site, with pile placement carried out under a binding construction contract using engineering drawings prepared and approved by Aquila Energy, the project's Solar EPC contractor. M3 Engineering & Technology Corporation is providing engineering and project integration support.
The solar array is designed to power the company's cobalt processing operations entirely with solar energy once complete. Excess electricity will be stored in on-site battery systems or supplied to the local electric grid. Solar construction is expected to continue through 2026 and into 2027, with the cobalt processing plant targeted to reach commercial operation by the end of 2029.
When fully operational, the Yuma County facility is projected to process approximately 24,000 metric tons of cobalt hydroxide feedstock annually, producing up to 20,000 metric tons per year of EV battery-grade cobalt sulfate and up to 3,000 metric tons per year of alloy-grade cobalt metal. The company says that output is expected to supply up to approximately 40% of projected U.S. cobalt demand.
EVelution Energy's $450 million Yuma County cobalt processing facility is expected to generate approximately $1.2 billion in annual economic activity across Arizona and create more than 6,200 direct, indirect and induced jobs over the life of the project, according to the company. The project is located near Tacna in a rural Qualified Opportunity Zone, a census tract the company says is currently being considered for re-designation by Governor Hobbs under the next generation of the federal Opportunity Zone program.
The company has committed to using 100% American-made steel in the solar, battery storage and cobalt processing facility structures. The BusinessWire announcement and pv magazine both confirmed the groundbreaking independently.
Pile installation, racking, electrical, and civil work are expected to advance in sequence through 2027 ahead of the cobalt plant commissioning.
Where to find them
- Energy LLC · legendaryenergyaz.com
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- aztechcouncil.org retrieved 21/07/2026 00:49
- Energy LLC (official site) retrieved 21/07/2026 00:49
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 21/07/2026 00:49. Every claim traces to a source.
