PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Neometals on Friday announced that its joint venture with SMS Group, Primobius, had inked a conditional, binding agreement with Mercedes-Benz subsidiary LICULAR to develop a battery recycling plant.

Mercedes-Benz in March tapped Primobius as its technology partner for the design and construction of the 2 500 t/y lithium-ion battery recycling plant. The plant will be built in two stages.

Neometals told shareholders that the cooperation is conditional on LICULAR issuing a purchase order for the engineering, supply and installation of the necessary equipment for the recycling plant. Subject to receipt of the agreed purchase order, Primobius will enter into long-term research and development collaboration to recycle next generation cell

formats and chemistries, and will provide a non-exclusive technology licence for the Recycling Plant, know-how, staff training, engineering and plant management support to LICULAR.

During the Recycling Plant operations phase, the parties will jointly evaluate an industrial-scale operation of Primobius’ recycling technology.

Neometals noted that the recycling plant will be operated at an agreed LICULAR location, which is likely to be Mercedes-Benz’s Kuppenheim operations in Southern Germany.

“We are delighted to formalise our long-term cooperation agreement with Mercedes-Benz,” said Neometals MD Chris Reed.

“The research and development collaboration is as important to us as successfully supplying the equipment. We are excited to work together to develop a more holistic recycling solution covering logistics, handling, compliance and sustainability. We are grateful for the opportunity and accept the challenge to futureproof our processing technology.”