Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT, OTC:LMMFF)’s 90%-owned subsidiary Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd has been given the green light from the local council for its new Laverton site in Melbourne, Victoria.
The company’s second, and much larger, operational space is now fully permitted for receipt of end-of-life batteries and electronic waste, along with storage, sorting, shredding and separation.
At the other end of the process, a recycled mixed-metal product will be sold to customers. Sales of recycled battery products to both national and international customers are expected to increase as a result of the new facility.
Increased capacity
The Laverton site increases Envirostream's storage capacity by around 300% and sorting capacity by around 100%.
Envirostream is a national leader in mixed battery collection and recycling and this expansion means it is a step ahead of increasing demand for electric vehicle and energy-storage-system battery dismantling.
The Laverton facility will be permitted to store 300 tonnes of batteries at a time, allowing for the expected increase in volumes of spent batteries expected as a result of the national Battery Stewardship Scheme, which rolls out next month.
Envirostream will install new modules – capable of sorting 4,000 kilograms of mixed spent batteries daily – to bolster capacity, while simultaneously capturing data for customers, regulators and the Battery Stewardship Council.
Well prepared for demand
"The new Envirostream site will service the battery recycling industry better by allowing safer handling and storage," Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said.
“Capturing larger volumes of spent lithium-ion batteries in particular helps us create a secure battery supply chain, further underpinning the investment of Lithium Australia shareholders.
“With the Battery Stewardship Scheme commencing next month, the timing could not be better – permitting of the Laverton facility means we are well prepared for the expected increase in volumes of spent batteries available for recycling."
Envirostream staff worked with all relevant regulatory bodies in Victoria, including WorkSafe, the Environment Protection Authority, Fire Rescue Victoria and Wyndham City Council, to achieve this outcome.