Battery recycling firm Livium, via its wholly owned subsidiary, Envirostream Australia, has broadened its recycling deal with BYD Australia to include battery energy storage systems (BESS).
In a statement released by Livium this morning (13 May), the new agreement commenced at the start of this month and will span an initial three years with the option to extend this by an additional year.
Alongside BESS recycling, Envirostream Australia will also recycle commercial electric vehicle (EV) batteries and EV and plug-in hybrid batteries.
Whilst BYD Australia has committed to minimum volumes, due to the commercially sensitive nature of the terms, Livium said it is not in a position to quantify the economic impact of the new agreement.
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Livium added that the collaboration aims to extend the reach of lithium-ion battery recycling to New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the wider Oceania region.
Livium CEO and managing director Simon Linge said that the new agreement has come from Envirostream, which had already exceeded the volume expectations in Australia when the first deal was struck.
The first agreement between the two companies was signed in September 2024. It saw Envirostream Australia recycle BYD batteries predominantly from EVs. BYD Australia currently holds an approximate 14% share of the country’s EV market.
Earlier this year, Livium partnered with Chinese battery manufacturer Hithium Energy to recycle lithium-ion batteries from Lightsource bp’s Woolooga solar-plus-storage site in Queensland.
Under the terms of the agreement, Livium will exclusively recycle the lithium-ion batteries Hithium is set to supply for the 222MW/640MWh solar co-located project. The BESS will be coupled with a 214MW solar PV power plant spread across three sites.
Livium will receive a processing fee for discharging, dismantling, and processing Hithium batteries and a fee for supplementary services. These include battery transport services, condition assessments, and tailored services.
