Primobius is an incorporated joint venture between Australian Stock Exchange listed company Neometals Ltd. and private German plant manufacturer, SMS group, to commercialise an environmentally friendly recycling solution for end-of-life and scrap lithium-ion-batteries (LIB). The Primobius recycling process offers scaleable, efficient, sustainable recycling that can drastically reduce the CO2 footprint for participants in the LIB supply chain.
The global reliance on LIBs has grown at an unprecedented pace and is rapidly increasing due to strong growth in the electric vehicle, energy storage and portable electronics markets. Rechargeable energy storage as a means to curb climate change is now a reality. However, the waste created by end of life and scrap LIBs poses a growing environmental challenge.
Primobius | Corporate video
Primobius will recover all the LIB constituent materials with an efficient and environmentally friendly recycling solution for re-use of the products, which will include generation of high-purity cathode chemicals for the battery supply chain. Primobius will help to "close the loop" with a unique and sustainable method of recovering valuable lithium, nickel, cobalt chemicals, and other materials, from expended and scrap electric vehicle, stationary energy storage and consumer electronics LIBs.
RESPONSIBLY-SOURCED HIGH-PURITY CHEMICALS
Primobius will generate both low and high value saleable products for re-use in new applications. The high-value, high purity chemical products for use by cathode makers. By separating the key materials in batteries, Primobius recovers cobalt, lithium, nickel, and other materials that would otherwise end up being recycled inefficiently or potentially finding their way to landfill. These products complement supplies from primary mine production sources, support domestic raw material supply chain resilience and have a non-conflict provenance.
A SUSTAINABLE WAY FORWARD
In a world where manufacturers are measured by their ethics and environmental footprint, Primobius aims to use finite resources more efficiently to close the materials loop and contribute to the circular economy. Think elimination of fire risks, reduction in pollution from smelting and landfill contamination, re-use for a circular economy rather than linear economy and reduced carbon footprints for battery value chain.
Demonstration plant
The demonstration plant, which follows extensive pilot trialing, will showcase the Primobius integrated recycling solution in a dedicated continuous campaign that will reduce LIBs donated by EV and stationary energy storage partners to their constituent materials for re-use.
Product outputs from the trial will be evaluated by potential customers, partners and off-takers. The demonstration plant trial will provide an opportunity for carmakers, consumer electronics and battery manufacturers to verify Primobius’ capability to safely, sustainably and ethically dispose of hazardous LIBs to comply with all regulatory obligations.
At approximately 20,000tpa capacity, the commercial-scale shredding equipment at the demonstration plant will represent Europe’s largest of its type, coupled with a Refining section that is designed to generate the data required for future optimisation and economic studies. Perhaps most importantly, the demonstration plant will showcase an opportunity for partners to watch their spent batteries go into the process and a range of products come out of the other end for supply chain evaluation.
Commercial disposal services
On March 28th, Primobius took another important step with a grand opening event. The two joint venture partners, Neometals and SMS group, had invited guests from politics, business and the media to an official ceremony in which they gave the go-ahead for commercial operation of the battery recycling plant starting in May 2022.
The commercial Shredding Plant, which has a capacity of 10 tons per day, was purposely built to take account of the demand in supply chains for closed loop recycling and domestic supply chain resilience sought by LIB manufacturers, and others, in Europe.
News & Press
Hilchenbach, March 28, 2022
Ready for commercial operation - Battery recycling plant officially opened
Düsseldorf, March 11, 2022
Primobius and Mercedes-Benz intend to launch technology partnership for battery recycling
Düsseldorf, January 10, 2022
Primobius partners with Stelco in recycling of electric vehicle batteries
Hilchenbach, December 20, 2021
Commercial battery recycling plant commissioned
Hilchenbach, December 08, 2021
Official prize-giving ceremony at the 14th German Sustainability Award – And the winner is…
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