PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Neometals, through its joint venture (JV) with mechanical engineering firm SMS group GmbH, has successfully commissioned the front-end shredding and beneficiation circuit of its showcase lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling demonstration plant.

Neometals and SMS last year struck a JV agreement to commercialise Neometals’ lithium battery recycling process.

The JV, dubbed Primobius GmbH, will use the Noemetals recycling technology to recover lithium, nickel, cobalt and other materials from spent and scrap electric vehicle and consumer electronics.

The demonstration plant, located in Primobius’ leased building within the SMS group engineering competence centre in Hilchenbach, comprises a fully constructed ‘Front-end’ shredding and beneficiation circuit, known as Stage 1, and a ‘back-end’ hydrometallurgical refining circuit, known as Stage 2, which is progressing through mechanical and electrical installation.

Front-end commissioning included charging up the circuit and processing both dummy and charged electric vehicle LIBs to generate plastic, steel and foil product streams together with approximately 1.5 t of intermediate active material.

Neometals on Thursday said that the fully integrated and continuous demonstration plant trial constituted one of the key evaluation activities required for the JV owners to make an investment decision relating to construction of Primobius’ first commercial LIB recycling plant.

“Safe commissioning of the demonstration plant front-end is a significant step for Primobius as it can now move towards trialling activities with tested systems, including safety, that have been run in real-world conditions,” the company told shareholders.

Commissioning of the hydrometallurgical refining circuit is expected in September with all trials due for completion by November.

The refinery circuits will be sequentially dry and wet commissioned before intermediate active material is processed in two campaigns. The hydrometallurgical refining circuit will produce, amongst other things, high-purity metal sulphate products for evaluation by potential customers, partners and offtakers.