REG - Neometals Ltd - Grant of Battery Recycling Patent

NeometalsAnnouncement

21/09/2023 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
http://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20230921:nRSU1936Na&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 1936N  Neometals Ltd  21 September 2023

This announcement contains inside information

 

21 September 2023

 

Neometals Ltd

("Neometals" or "the Company")

 

Grant of Battery Recycling Patent

 

Innovative battery material recycler, Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT & AIM: NMT)
("Neometals" or "the Company"), is pleased to announce that the Australian
Patent Office has granted Neometals' 50% owned recycling intellectual property
subsidiary, A.C.N. 630 589 507 Pty Ltd ("ACN Co"), a patent for the key
process steps of its lithium-ion battery recycling process ("LiB Recycling
Technology"). The Australian patent (Australian Patent No.2019400942) is the
first to grant of the seventeen national patent applications filed by ACN Co
for the LiB Recycling Technology in key jurisdictions across the globe.

The LiB Recycling Technology, co-owned 50% by Neometals' Primobius joint
venture partner, SMS group, recovers materials contained in LiB production
scrap and end-of-life cells that might otherwise be disposed of in land fill.
The two-stage process recovers nickel, cobalt, lithium and manganese battery
materials (and physically recovers metals and plastics) into saleable products
that can be reused in the LiB supply chain. The LiB Recycling Technology
prioritises maximum safety, environmental sustainability, and product
recoveries, to support the circular economy and decarbonisation.

The LiB Recycling Technology comprises two stages:

1.  "Spoke" - Comprising of LiB receipting, sorting, discharging, disassembly
together with shredding and separation, to physically separate all of the
components of LiBs received, by metal casings, electrode foils, plastics and
active battery materials; and

2.  "Hub" - Comprising of leaching, purification, precipitation or solvent
extraction and crystallisation of the active materials suitable for use in
production of LiB precursor, via a hydrometallurgical refining process.

The Australian patent is focused primarily on the Hub stage of the LiB
Recycling Technology.

The prosecution of the LiB Recycling Technology patent family commenced with
Neometals first filing an Australian provisional patent application, securing
a 'priority date' in late 2018. Neometals continued by filing a subsequent
Patent Cooperation Treaty application, and a further seventeen national
applications. The granting of the Australian patent provides coverage for the
Hub component of the LiB Recycling Technology in Australia until late 2039.

This is a significant development for Primobius as it pursues its recycling
plant supply and technology licensing strategy. IP Australia have rigorously
examined the patent claims against global 'novelty', 'inventiveness' and
'industrial applicability' measures, and Primobius can now better assert its
commercial rights.

Neometals Managing Director Chris Reed said:

"We are pleased to receive the first granted patent for our battery recycling
process from the Australian Patent Office. This cements our competitive
advantage as a leading provider of recycling solutions and allows Primobius to
accelerate its recycling plant supply and licensing business model. The
validation also provides encouragement that our portfolio of applications in
other jurisdictions will similarly be granted."

 

Figure 1: Diagram showing equal ownership by Neometals and SMS group of both

Primobius and the IP holding company with the LiB Recycling Technology

Figure 2: Diagram of high-level flowsheet showing the movement of materials
from

the Spoke to Australian patented Hub stage of the LiB Recycling Technology

 

Authorised on behalf of Neometals by Christopher Reed, Managing Director.

ENDS

 

For more information, please contact:

 

 Neometals Ltd
 Chris Reed, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer                 +61 8 9322 1182
 Jeremy McManus, General Manager - Commercial & Investor Relations       +61 8 9322 1182

 Cavendish Securities plc - 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
 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 of lithium, nickel, cobalt
and vanadium from lithium-ion battery recycling and steel waste recovery.
Reducing the reliance on traditional mine-based supply chains and creating
more resilient, circular supply chains 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 technology licencing activities as technology partner to
Mercedes-Benz. investment decision for Primobius' first commercial 50tpd plant
and JV with Stelco in Canada expected end 2023;

 

·      Lithium Chemicals (70% technology) - Commercialising patented
ELi™ 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
Demonstration Plant trials and evaluation studies in 2024 for potential
25,000tpa LiOH operation in Portugal under a 50:50 JV with 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. Investment decision with JV
partner, Critical Metals pending on planned 9,000tpa vanadium pentoxide
operation in Pori, Finland (NMT 72.5% equity). Feedstock sourced under 10-year
Slag supply agreement with SSAB and product offtake agreement with Glencore.
MOU with H2Green Steel for potential second, larger operation in Boden,
Sweden.

 

For further information visit www.neometals.com.au
(http://www.neometals.com.au/)

 

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  UPDGUGDCRXDDGXB