Melbourne-headquartered solar panel recycling company Lotus Energy has signed an agreement with Canadian silicon anode developer Neo Battery Materials, to collaborate on the development of a silicon anode product.
The two companies intend to co-market directly to battery cell, electronics, and automotive manufacturers and look for other opportunities in North America to establish a silicon recycling presence.
Lotus Energy Chief Executive Officer Anthony Vippond said the family-owned business is excited about the collaboration.
“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,” Vippond said.
“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.”
Lotus expects to reach 3,600 kg per annum scale in 2024 and expand to 120,000 kg per year for its Melbourne plant and is planning facilities in Sydney and Germany by 2026 to supply its high-purity nano silicon to various industrial and electronics applications.
Ontario-headquartered Neo Battery Materials Chief Executive Officer Spencer Huh said the collaboration aligns with the company’s strategic vision of sustainability, innovation, and supply chain resiliency.
“Following our collaboration with INNOX eco-M, this partnership with Lotus will add another layer of depth and intricacy in Neo’s research and development to utilize recycled silicon as the main raw material source,” Huh said.
In the face of a deluge of end-of-life solar panels, Huh said the collaboration will allow Neo to secure a large proportion of environmental, social and governance (ESG)-friendly input precursors to move away from metallurgical-grade silicon produced from greenhouse gas (GHG)-emitting carbothermic processes.
Lotus Energy possesses a proprietary recycling process that implements a heat and chemical treatment without the use of hazardous solvents and materials, removing environmental risk and reducing unnecessary manufacturing costs and overhead.
Neo also uses a patent-protected process and built its first commercial plant in South Korea, with aim to be a global leader of silicon anode materials for the electric vehicle and energy storage industries.
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