NEO Battery Materials, Lotus Energy Recycling to partner

NEO Battery Materials Ltd., a low-cost silicon anode materials developer based in Toronto, has announced a collaboration agreement with Lotus Energy Recycling, an Australian solar photovoltaic (PV) recycler, to aid NEO's route to commercialization and supply chain resiliency for input materials.

The companies intend to develop a silicon anode product to co-market directly to battery cell, electronics and automotive manufacturers. Both companies plan to explore joint venture opportunities to establish a North American footprint in silicon recycling. The companies also plan to apply for governmental funding and international cooperation in advanced manufacturing and clean technology based on availability and criteria-match.

NEO says the agreement bolsters its pillared strategy to build commercial-level relationships and diversify the silicon upstream value chain. The company aims to enhance the commercial viability and compatibility of recycled silicon as a reliable raw material source for its silicon anode materials.

Lotus Energy possesses proprietary recycling technology to recover solar silicon cells from end-of-life solar PV cells. The scalable process implements a heat and chemical treatment without the use of hazardous solvents and materials, removing the risk of environmental concern and reducing unnecessary manufacturing costs and overhead. The company says it consistently has achieved high-purity levels of 99.9 percent or more for its recycled PV nano silicon particles.

Headquartered in Melbourne, Lotus Energy has deployed several magnitudes of megawatt-hour solar projects across Australia, ranging from commercial and industrial to residential applications. The company plans to construct facilities in Sydney and Germany to supply its high-purity recycled PV nano silicon to various industrial and electronics applications.

“We are incredibly excited to be collaborating with NEO Battery Materials,” Lotus Energy co-founder and CEO Anthony Vippond says. “We are aligned in our beliefs of the importance of nano- and micro-silicon applied into batteries, utilizing recycled materials to minimize the impact on the environment. The energy storage industry will see massive advancements, and we aim to be part of the team that makes those quantum leaps we seek and all need for renewables to be able to supply base load and peak demand energy.”

NEO President and CEO Spencer Huh says the partnership aligns perfectly with the company’s strategic vision of sustainability, innovation and supply chain resiliency, while adding another layer of depth and intricacy to its research and development of recycled silicon as a main raw material source.

“In a study administered by the Korea Photovoltaic Industry Association, approximately 3,000 tons and 30,000 tons of end-of-life PV cells will be released in 2027 and 2033, respectively,” Huh adds. “This fact implies that NEO will be able to secure a large proportion of ESG-friendly input precursors to diversify away from metallurgical-grade silicon produced from GHG-emitting carbothermic processes.”