Lithium Australia's Envirostream to supply battery metals to South Korea

Envirostream, a 24% subsidiary of Lithium Australia, has agreed to supply South Korean firm SungEel HiTech with metals to make recycled batteries.

Envirostream will supply a mix of energy metals cobalt, nickel and lithium extracted from recycled lithium-ion batteries out of Australia to the South Korean firm who will use the minerals to supply environmentally sustainable technology projects that benefit from a circular battery economy

“The MoU (memorandum of understanding) with SungEel provides for immediate refining of the MMD (mixed metal dust containing cobalt, nickel and lithium) that Envirostream produces,” said Lithium Australia Managing Director Adrian Griffin.

“Closing the loop on the production of battery materials reduces the environmental footprint of the mining and processing aspects inherent in LIB production, improves sustainability and prevents the components of spent LIBs from leaking into groundwater and oceans as a consequence of their relegation to landfill or transport to other jurisdictions,” he added.

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“Maximising the recycling of all battery metals, something rarely done effectively, is a target we have achieved in university-controlled testing,” explained Griffin. “We have not limited ourselves to lithium ion batteries, but have included alkaline batteries with the aim of eliminating all such spent items from landfill.”

“We are cognizant of the environmental implications of burying such ‘waste’ and encourage all users of these products to join with us and recycle for the future benefit of the environment. And we have a message for OEMS as well - we have a plan, we have the ability and we have the solution to your long-awaited battery stewardship requirements.”