Johannesburg, South Africa – EWaste Africa (EWA), a leading electronic and lighting waste management company, and Watercycle Technologies (WT), a UK-based deep tech company specialising in critical minerals recovery, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 27 March 2024. This strategic partnership aims to advance the sustainable recovery of valuable materials, such as lithium, from spent lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
The MOU entails the collaborative testing and deployment of Watercycle Technologies’ cutting-edge and patented technologies for recovering lithium from LFP batteries. The partnership between EWA and WT marks a significant step towards enhancing sustainable waste management practices in Southern Africa. With EWA’s expertise in e-waste management and Watercycle Technologies’ innovative mineral recovery solutions, the collaboration aims to establish a state-of-the-art plant capable of processing ton-level quantities of end-of-life LFP batteries.
“We are excited to partner with Watercycle Technologies to bring cutting-edge mineral recovery solutions to the region,” said Dr Mark Williams-Wynn, R&D Lead at EWaste Africa. “This partnership aligns with our commitment to sustainable waste management and will significantly contribute to the circular economy by extracting valuable materials from end-of-life LFP batteries.”
Watercycle’s co-founder and CTO, Dr Ahmed Abdelkarim said: “We are delighted to be working with EWaste Africa in producing battery grade lithium carbonate from spent LFP batteries and help build a circular battery supply chain on the African continent. LFP chemistries are growing rapidly in Africa due to their lower cost than cobalt-rich NMC chemistries and so require novel technologies to be viably recycled. We are delighted to be bringing our expertise in mineral recovery to this partnership and build a ton-scale battery recycling system at EWaste Africa’s facility.”
The plant developed as part of this partnership will not only showcase Watercycle Technologies’ advanced recovery processes but also serve as a model for responsible resource utilization and environmental stewardship in the Southern African region and beyond.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Dr Mark Williams-Wynn
EWaste Africa
102 Shortts Retreat Rd, Mkondeni, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, South Africa
+27 65 951 4836
Dr Ahmed Abdelkarim,
Watercycle Technologies, Masdar Building, Manchester, UK
Ahmed.abdelkarim@watercycletechnologies.com
About EWaste Africa:
EWaste Africa (EWA) is a South African electronic and lighting waste management company offering holistic e-waste solutions, including collection, storage, and beneficiation services. EWA serves clients across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
About Watercycle Technologies:
Watercycle is a mineral recovery technology company which has developed proprietary processes for recovering high-value minerals such as lithium carbonate, graphite, copper and others from spent lithium-ion batteries and black mass (shredded batteries). The company is also capable of extracting minerals from liquid streams such as geothermal brines or wastewater using its Direct Lithium Extraction and Crystallisation (DLEC™) process. It is a low-impact, low-carbon and water-efficient process with industry leading green credentials. Watercycle is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom.