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RNS Number : 2840X
Neometals Ltd
19 December 2023
19 December 2023
Neometals Ltd
("Neometals" or "the Company")
Primobius Recycling Process Achieves 85% Reduction in Carbon
Emissions
Highlights
-- Life cycle assessment ("LCA") shows potential for Primobius'
lithium-ion battery ("LiB") recycling plants to produce key battery
materials with exceptionally low CO(2) footprint;
-- Independent ISO-compliant cradle-to-gate LCA completed by
Minviro Ltd using detailed engineering data from operations and
demonstration trials; and
-- Total 'Global Warming Potential' approximately 85% lower than
comparisons with predominant EV supply chains that start with
primary mined nickel, cobalt and lithium sources.
Innovative battery materials recycler, Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT
& AIM: NMT) ("Neometals" or "the Company"), is pleased to
announce positive results from an independent LCA undertaken by its
50:50 LiB recycling incorporated joint venture, Primobius GmbH
("Primobius"). The LCA focused on Primobius' production of the key
battery materials, including lithium fluoride ("LiF"), nickel
sulphate hexahydrate ("NiSO(4) 6H(2) O ") and cobalt sulphate
heptahydrate ("CoSO(4) 7H(2) O "), ("Primary Products"). The LCA
confirmed the Primobius' integrated hydrometallurgical refining
process to have a significantly lower carbon footprint than
incumbent production pathways in terms of global warming potential
("GWP").
Figure 1 - Comparison of GWP impact for producing key materials
in Primobius' hydrometallurgical product 'basket' versus those same
refined chemicals that originated from primary mined extraction.
Refining data for chemicals was derived using Chinese (cobalt and
lithium) and Indonesian (nickel) operating benchmarks which
represent the largest manufacturing jurisdictions for the
respective primary products.
Chris Reed, Neometals Managing Director said:
"The LCA evidences the sustainability of Primobius' recycling
plants and their potential to largely remove embedded carbon from
the battery materials supply chain. Our hydrometallurgical
recycling plants can deliver customers a secure supply of low-cost,
low-carbon battery materials to satisfy their environmental
ambitions and meet legislative requirements for new batteries to
utilise recycled content."
Background
Primobius engaged Minviro Ltd ( www.minviro.com ) to conduct its
cradle-to-gate LCA on the Primary Products produced from its
integrated recycling process. The LCA has quantified Primobius'
environmental impact and compares against equivalent products
produced via incumbent raw material extraction. The functional
units of the LCA were 1kg of Li in LiF, 1 kg of Ni in NiSO4 6H(2) O
and 1kg of Co in CoSO(4) 7H(2) O. The study was based on Primobius'
2023 engineering cost study ([1]) and was conducted according to
the requirements of the ISO-14040:2006 and ISO-14044:2006
standards. Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions were included in the LCA
which was subject to a third-party ISO-compliant critical panel
review.
Traditionally, the production of Primary Products has been
dominated by processing of mined raw materials. Courtesy of a
simplified production process, the Minviro LCA comparison scenarios
found that Primobius will have lower GWP to the equivalent
manufacture of Primary Products via mined extraction with
downstream Chinese and Indonesian refining. This is primarily due
to reduced processing steps associated with targeting a feed source
(i.e. batteries) with intrinsically higher grade (>15%Ni/Co;
2.5% Li) than mined raw materials. By recycling LiBs locally,
regional recycling reduces the high carbon footprint associated
with the logistics of the mined battery material supply chain.
Figure 2 - Comparison of GWP impact for producing key materials
in Primobius' hydrometallurgical
product 'basket' versus those same refined chemicals that
originated from primary mined extraction.
Refining data for chemicals was derived using industry average
operating benchmarks.
Authorised on behalf of Neometals by Christopher Reed, Managing
Director.
For more information, please contact:
Neometals Ltd
Chris Reed, Managing Director & Chief Executive
Officer +61 8 9322 1182
Jeremy McManus, General Manager - IP & IR +61 8 9322 1182
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited - NOMAD
& Joint Broker
Neil McDonald +44 (0)131 220 9771
Peter Lynch +44 (0)131 220 9772
Adam Rae +44 (0)131 220 9778
RBC Capital Markets - Joint Broker +44 (0) 20 7653 4000
Paul Betts
Jamil Miah
Camarco PR + 44(0) 20 3 757 4980
Gordon Poole
Emily Hall
Lily Pettifar
About Neometals
Neometals has developed and is commercialising three
environmentally-friendly processing technologies that produce
critical and strategic battery materials at lowest quartile costs
with minimal carbon footprint.
Through strong industry partnerships, Neometals is demonstrating
the economic and environmental benefits of sustainably producing
lithium, nickel, cobalt and vanadium from lithium-ion battery
recycling and steel waste recovery. This reduces the reliance on
traditional mine-based supply chains and creating more resilient,
circular supply to support the energy transition.
The Company's three core business units are exploiting the
technologies under principal, joint venture and licensing business
models:
-- Lithium-ion Battery ("LiB") Recycling (50% technology) -
Commercialisation via Primobius GmbH JV (NMT 50% equity). All
plants built by Primobius' co-owner (SMS group 50% equity), a
150-year-old German plant builder. Providing recycling service as
principal in Germany and commenced plant supply and licensing
activities as technology partner to Mercedes-Benz. Primobius
targeting first commercial 21,000 tpa plant offer to Canadian
company Stelco in the DecQ 2023;
-- Lithium Chemicals (70% technology) - Commercialising patented
ELi(TM) electrolysis process, co-owned 30% by Mineral Resources
Ltd, to produce battery quality lithium hydroxide from brine and/or
hard-rock feedstocks at lowest quartile operating costs. Co-funding
Pilot Plant trials in 2023 with planned Demonstration Plant trials
and evaluation studies in 2024 for potential 25,000tpa LiOH
operation in Portugal under a 50:50 JV with related entity to
Bondalti, Portugal's largest chemical company; and
-- Vanadium Recovery (100% technology) - aiming to produce
high-purity vanadium pentoxide from processing of steelmaking
by-product ("Slag") at lowest-quartile operating cost. Targeting
partnerships with steel makers and participants in the vanadium
chemical value chain under a low risk / low capex technology
licensing business model.
For further information visit www.neometals.com.au
[1] For full details refer to Neometals ASX announcement
headlined "Battery Recycling 'Hub' Engineering Cost Study Results"
released on 01 August 2023.
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