Battery recycling firm Livium, via its wholly owned subsidiary, Envirostream Australia, has 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 battery energy storage system (BESS) will be coupled with a 214MW solar PV power plant spread across three sites.
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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.
The agreement commenced on 1 January 2025 and will last for an initial term of three years and an option term of two years. Livium will also be able to recycle batteries not associated with the Woolooga project on a non-exclusive basis.
Livium CEO and managing director Simon Linge hopes the deal with Hithium for the Woolooga project will create a domino effect, resulting in similar recycling deals being signed for other large-scale energy storage projects.
It is worth noting that consruction of the Woolooga BESS started in December last year following success in first tender of the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), which saw 3.5GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) awarded.
Woolooga solar-plus-storage site to see first deployment of 5MWh containerised BESS in Australia
The Woolooga project is a significant milestone for Hithium. It will be the first deployment of the company’s 5MWh containerised standard 20-foot BESS solution in Australia, which utilises Hithium’s prismatic 314Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells.
The cells have 25-year warranties and are packed into double-length modules with an IP67 ingress protection rating. Hithium claims this improves energy density by 40% compared to previous models.
The Woolooga Stage 1 site will consist of 128 container units. Hithium is collaborating with INTEC Energy Solutions, a German engineering, procurement, and construction firm, for the project’s operations and maintenance.
Mizhi Zhang, president of global business at Hithium, highlighted the importance of sustainable recycling practices.
“The Woolooga Project represents a significant step for Hithium in establishing a foundation for future energy storage initiatives in Australia,” Zhang said.
“Sustainable disposal of our BESS products is key to our sustainability objectives, and we are delighted to partner with Livium, who have a proven track record of safe battery disposal.”
Hithium signs agreement with Samsung C&T for 10GWh of BESS globally
Hithium specialises in stationary energy storage products for utility-scale, commercial, and industrial applications. Since its inception in 2019, the company has expanded to several international markets and has shipped over 50GWh of BESS products to date. It also claims to have a top-five global market share.
The organisation recently signed an agreement with Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction (Samsung C&T), targeting around 10GWh of BESS capacity globally. Nazar Yi, vice-president of Hithium, said the collaboration will leverage each company’s expertise to help address the evolving energy storage landscape.
“This collaboration will not only strengthen our capabilities but also accelerate the deployment of innovative energy solutions on a global scale,” Yi added.
