Latest news with #LithiumUniverse
West Australian
4 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Lithium Universe snaps up global rights to PV solar recycling tech
Aspiring mineral producer Lithium Universe has snapped up the global rights to an innovative microwave technology designed by Macquarie University's School of Engineering to simplify the separation and recycling of silicon and valuable metals in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The company has entered a binding agreement to acquire the Macquarie-owned New Age Minerals, which holds the exclusive licensing agreement to use and commercialise the new-age technology. The market liked the details of today's reveal. The company came out of a trading halt today, with its share price surging on 76.1 million shares trading hands. The massive volume pushed the company's share price from Friday's close of 0.6 cents to finish the day at 1c for a more than tidy daily gain of 66.67 per cent. The microwave joule heating technology (MJHT) utilises microwave technology to selectively heat silicon cells and soften the plastic used to bind the layers in solar cells. Melting the plastic encapsulant then enables the panels to be easily delaminated and separated into their glass, silicon and metal components at a safe room temperature. The technology can safely preserve valuable materials such as high-purity silicon, silver and critical metals such as gallium and indium for reuse, and prevent dangerous chemicals from being leached from panels dumped into landfill. The high-tech process removes the need for energy-intensive chemical treatment or high-temperature baking, providing a more environmentally friendly recycling process. It minimises the gas emissions that would come from burning the plastic encapsulant and eliminates the toxic chemical waste streams generated from other recycling processes. It is estimated just 15 per cent of waste solar PV cells are recycled worldwide due to the complex recycling procedures involved. Notably, the International Energy Agency anticipates the world will be dealing with an astonishing 60 million tonnes to 78Mt of cumulative solar waste by 2050. Tan said the mass accumulation of solar panel waste in landfills is a growing problem, particularly given the valuable critical metals that are left behind. He said microwave technology offers a promising solution to these challenges, enabling higher recovery rates and more sustainable recycling processes. Lithium Universe believes the technology could also be integrated into existing solar recycling facilities and inexpensively scaled up for mass production. The cost to lock in the technology consists of an upfront payment of $33,900 to the Sydney-based university to reimburse costs associated with registering the technology. Lithium Universe will make an annual $20,000 cash payment within 30 days of each anniversary of the commencement of the licensing agreement, beginning in 2027 until 2042. New Age Materials will pay a 3 per cent royalty on the annual gross sales of products or services using the technology. Agreed milestones, including successful plant commissioning and first production, will incur further payments. Lithium Universe has secured binding commitments to raise $1.7 million via a two-tranche placement to help purchase the private firm and its associated exclusive licence. The company will also spend some of the funds on a definitive feasibility study for its proposed Bécancour Canadian lithium refinery, pay for a capital raising and to cover its working capital needs. Lithium Universe will issue 425M shares at 0.4 cents each to raise the funds, with $200,000 initially targeted for the purchase transaction and accompanying research and development. Tranche one will see the issue of 150M shares to raise $600,000. A second tranche placement should see $1.1M come through the doors from the issue of 275 million shares. Shareholders will need to approve the second placement at a meeting expected to be held in July. In a positive sign for the company, directors Tan, Patrick Scallan and Jingyuan Liu will pitch in a combined $57,000 into the tranche two placement if shareholders approve. Lithium Universe wants to use MJHT to help it extract valuable metals from disused solar PV panels, to particularly target higher recoveries of silver, silicon, gallium and indium. Most of the materials play a vital role in future clean energy needs. The high-tech process could also be used to treat the lithium mineral spodumene at Lithium Universe's proposed Bécancour Canadian lithium refinery. Processing spodumene requires high-temperature processes. MJHT may reduce the heating costs and lower the cost of materials required to build the proposed facility. The company's management includes some noted chemical specialists, with significant experience in the lithium and chemical extraction businesses. Given their collective longstanding history of making chemical extraction technology work, perhaps only a brave man would bet against their latest acquisition. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Resources Top 5: Lithium Universe takes up challenge of recycling spent solar panels
Lithium Universe is securing exclusive licensing rights to Microwave Joule Heating Technology A US$120m LOI from EXIM will assist in developing the Tanbreez REE project Gold and antimony have been identified in data from historical drilling and rock chips at Falchion prospect Your standout small cap resources stocks for Wednesday, June 18, 2025 Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) The increasing global focus on reducing carbon emissions and limiting fossil fuel use by adopting renewable energy sources, including solar power, generates news on a daily basis but little attention is paid to what happens to the spent solar panels and the valuable metals they contain. It makes plenty of sense in the quest for a cleaner, greener world that more attention is paid to address the issue of waste from spent panels. Panels have a life of 25-30 years and the industry will increasingly face the growing challenge of managing solar panel waste and recovering valuable materials. One company taking up the challenge is Lithium Universe, which has executed a binding agreement to acquire the global rights to a patented photovoltaic solar panel recycling technology. This has been greeted positively by investors with LU7 shares doubling to 1.2c before easing back to 1c at the close, a 66.67% increase on the pre-trading halt close. LU7 will acquire Australian-incorporated holding company New Age Minerals to secure exclusive licensing rights to Microwave Joule Heating Technology (MJHT) under an agreement with Macquarie University, which developed the technology. MJHT uses microwave technology to selectively heat silicon to soften the EVA encapsulant in solar panels, enabling easy delamination and potential recovery of valuable materials at room temperature. This avoids the need for extreme heat of up to 1400 degrees C that's typically required to separate materials like glass and silicon as well as the use of costly hazardous chemicals such as nitric acid, sulphuric acid and hydrogen fluoride used in traditional processes. Adding interest for Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7), delamination enables selective separation of materials without the need for mechanical crushing, which often results in cross-contaminated material and lower recovery rates. It is also particularly effective for the recovery of silver as it preserves the silver contacts embedded within the cell layers, enabling nearly complete extraction. This is hugely important as growing demand for silver in industrial uses has meant that the market now faces supply shortfalls, which leads to significant price increases. 'I am thrilled about the acquisition of Macquarie University's Microwave Joule Heating Technology and the opportunity to potentially extract critical metals such as silver from solar panel recycling,' executive chairman Iggy Tan said. 'The need for effective PV recycling has never been greater, with only 15% of panels currently being recycled. 'The mass accumulation of solar panel waste in landfills is a growing problem, as valuable critical metals like silver, silicon, gallium and indium are left behind, contributing to both resource depletion and environmental harm. 'Microwave technology offers a promising solution to these challenges, enabling higher recovery rates and more sustainable recycling processes. 'We firmly believe that this technology represents the future of solar panel waste management. 'We are eager to collaborate with the Macquarie team to develop a more efficient and cost-effective recycling process.' Currently, just 15% of used panels are recycled – with the rest accumulating in landfills – due to complex processes, high-temperature furnaces, toxic chemicals and poor recovery yields required for traditional processes. This is concerning as the International Energy Agency has flagged that global waste PV modules will amount to 1.7-8Mt cumulatively by 2030 and 60-78Mt cumulatively by 2050. Panels can contain harmful materials like cadmium and lead, which may leak into the ground and water when dumped in landfills. Recycling panels enables the recovery of valuable minerals such as silver, silicon, gallium and indium while cutting down on pollution. European Lithium (ASX:EUR) A US$120 million letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States has been received by Critical Metals Corp to assist in developing the Tanbreez rare earths project in Greenland. As the largest shareholder in Critical Metals with a stake of around 63%, European Lithium has welcomed the LOI as have shareholders, who sent shares to a high of 6.9c, a 57% increase on the previous EUR close. EUR closed at 6.4c, an increase of 45.45% on the pre-trading halt finish, with almost 40m changing hands. 'This is a huge milestone for the Tanbreez project. The flow-on effect to European Lithium is enormous,' said EUR's executive chairman Tony Sage. 'As of close of Nasdaq trading yesterday , the company's shareholding in Critical Metals was valued at approximately A$305 million.' Tanbreez, which is one of the world's largest rare earth deposits, hosts elevated concentrations of high-value magnet rare earth oxides including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, which are significantly more valuable than light rare earths. The EXIM funding proposal highlights the strategic importance of the Tanbreez project in bolstering Western supply chains for critical minerals, particularly rare earth elements. EXIM is the official export credit agency of the United States, offering financing tools including loans, guarantees and insurance to facilitate international trade to strengthen the US economy and support jobs across the country. This funding, if it proceeds, is expected to be used to develop the project, and European Lithium stands to benefit substantially via its shareholding in Critical Metals. The proposed package has a 15-year term and is subject to key development milestones including permitting, feasibility studies and environmental assessments. In order for the LOI to be converted to a binding financing agreement, EXIM will need to complete due diligence investigations. iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) Gold and antimony have been identified by iTech Minerals in data from historical drilling and rock chips at Falchion prospect of its Reynolds Range project in the NT, prompting a 41% jump in shares to a high of 3.8c before closing up 14.81% at 3.1c. Previous exploration at Reynolds Range in the 1990s was conducted primarily by Poseidon Gold, Exodus Minerals, North Flinders Mines, Normandy and Newmont. Historical drill holes at Falchion were assessed for gold but not routinely analysed for antimony. In a review of data, ITM has revealed historical mineralisation over a strike of 400m and this is open to the east. Notable results include: 22m at 2.20g/t gold and 2.3% antimony and 8m at 1.3g/t Au including 2m at 12.35g/t Au and 5.4% Sb; 24m at 2.75g/t Au; 10m at 1.29g/t Au; and 7m at 1.4g/t Au. A review of the controls on gold and antimony mineralisation has identified multiple prospective structures in the surrounding region and this new geological interpretation allows for expanded gold prospectivity at Falchion and surrounding prospects. iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM) has identified more than 18km of prospective structures coincident with a regional 6.5km-long antimony in lag soil anomaly. 'A review of historical drilling at the Falchion gold-antimony prospect has identified up to 400m of mineralised strike just 1.4km from the 800m-long Sabre gold antimony prospect to the east,' managing director Mike Schwarz said. 'Importantly the Falchion prospect remains open at depth and to the east. 'Up to 18km of prospective structures have been identified in the region based on similarities to the Falchion and Sabre prospects.' Mapping and sampling of the newly identified prospective structures is planned to help define targets with potential for economic mineralisation. Drilling is expected to begin in the second half of 2025. Warriedar Resources (ASX:WA8) Visible gold has been encountered by Warriedar Resources in a diamond drill hole at Ricciardo gold-antimony deposit within the flagship Golden Range project with subsequent assays returning 2m at 116.3 g/t gold from 151m, including 0.2m at 1,148 g/t. The results from the Ardmore end of the project in WA's Murchison region saw shares hit a new two-year high of 13.5c, an increase of 17.39%. This represents a key development in the exploration of Ricciardo as it is the first time visible gold has been returned in Warriedar's drilling and demonstrates the potential to host significant free-milling gold. Two diamond drill rigs have been onsite at Golden Range, drilling at the Windinne Well and M1 deposits while an RC rig started drilling at Ricciardo earlier this week, marking the start of the Ricciardo fast-tracked program. Stage 1 of this program involves drilling 105 holes for about 29,000m, using four rigs concurrently. 'The identification of visible gold is always an exciting development in exploration. However, in this case the primary excitement is in what it might actually represent for Ricciardo moving forward,' Warriedar managing director and CEO Amanda Buckingham said. 'The potential existence of significant zones of high-grade, free-milling material within primary mineralisation at Ricciardo would be a further game-changer for its development.' NewPeak Metals (ASX:NPM) In welcoming progress made by Lakes Blue Energy with its gas supply strategy in Victoria's Gippsland region, NewPeak Metals reached 1.9c, up 46.15% on the previous close, and closed at 1.8c. NewPeak is the largest shareholder in Lakes with a stake of around 16.3%. Lakes is undertaking a fully underwritten institutional placement with firm commitments received to raise about $6.5m, subject to reinstatement to trading on the ASX. It has been approved to relist on or about June 24, 2025, and is also moving toward drilling the Wombat-5 well in the Gippsland basin, close to existing gas pipeline infrastructure. Lakes has received consent from the Victorian State Minister for Energy and Resources to drill the appraisal well in Petroleum Retention Lease 2, subject to the agreeing and payment of rehabilitation bonds. A drill rig supply agreement has been entered into, with an estimated spudding date of the week of July 21, 2025. The well is budgeted at $7.5m and an independent assessment of the properties of the reservoir suggests target rates of up to ~10TJ/day are achievable. NewPeak said it remained supportive of Lakes' strategy in the Gippsland Basin and looked forward to Lakes progressing towards drilling Wombat-5, which had potential to provide additional supply into the Australian East Coast domestic gas market from as early as 2026.
West Australian
02-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Lithium Universe on spodumene hunt to feed Canadian lithium refinery
Lithium Universe is on the hunt for a minimum 10 years' worth of spodumene supply from local producers to feed its future Bécancour Canadian lithium refinery. The company expects to kick-start the conversion of the battery mineral into battery-grade lithium carbonate at the refinery in 2028. The company is targeting a non-binding agreement to source the large supply to appease financiers and help lock in its required project finance, having reached a final investment decision earlier this year for the project to begin kicking into gear. Initially it plans to source 56,000 tonnes of SC6-grade spodumene material, comprising 6 per cent lithium oxide, to fire up its conversion facility in 2028. That will increase to 98,000t in 2029 and reach the refinery's full capacity of 140,000t from 2030 onwards. Lithium Universe will seek the feedstock material preferably from local Canadian producers or near-term developers, otherwise it may look to procure its required supply from a producer within the North Atlantic region, including Brazil and Africa. Sourcing local material presents obvious logistical advantages, particularly significant savings in transport costs and potential tariffs imposed by the Canadian government on export material from countries including China. Lithium Universe says many producers see the benefits in dealing with a local converter. Savings of US$100 (A$155) per dry metric tonne of spodumene could equate to a reduction of about US$800/t in converted lithium carbonate product costs. Canada charges a 25 per cent import tariff on all Chinese lithium chemicals brought into the country, so local conversion of the battery mineral could represent significant savings to end-users. Under the company's recently revealed definitive feasibility study, it proposes pumping out an impressive 18,270t of battery-grade lithium carbonate when its processing operations have fully hit their stride by 2030. Production will support the expansion of Canada's electric vehicle and energy storage industries. Lithium Universe plans to purchase the spodumene feedstock from the market at benchmark prices and retain full ownership of lithium carbonate converted product. It intends to sell on the open market or directly to an original equipment manufacturer, which ideally it hopes to source as an investor into the project in exchange for an offtake supply of the battery ingredient. It is not looking to toll treat any spodumene material. Management says its mission is to close what it terms the 'lithium conversion gap', where an expected 20-plus major manufacturers plan to deploy 1000 gigawatts of battery capacity by 2028, with demand for 850,000t of converted lithium product. It anticipates only a potential 100,000t of lithium carbonate hard rock converters will be constructed by that timeframe. The Bécancour refinery will implement a smaller, off-the-shelf model refinery in preference to larger, more difficult-to-operate plants. Its initial focus will be on producing lithium carbonate to feed the lithium-iron-phosphate batteries used in electric vehicles. Lithium Universe's board approved a final investment decision on the Bécancour lithium refinery after its completed definitive feasibility study delivered a net present value of US$718M (A$1.109 billion). Based on the study results, it will aim to secure US$549M (A$848M) in funding to construct the facility. Lithium Universe expects to generate an EBITDA of US$148M (A$228.5M) from an annual revenue of US$383M (A$592M) over a 3.9-year payback based on the study's price assumptions. The assumptions are higher than current lithium spot prices. The company says the refinery will generate a 21 per cent internal rate of return, based on forecast prices of US$1170 (A$1807) per tonne of spodumene concentrate consisting of 6 per cent lithium content and US$20,970/t of lithium carbonate. Actual spot prices for battery-grade lithium carbonate hover near US$7500/t. The break-even cost is estimated at US$14,000/t for lithium carbonate on the expectation it will produce 18,270 tonnes per annum of battery-grade lithium carbonate. With expectations that lithium pricing will improve in the coming 12-18 months as the supply and demand balance improves, management believes its financial modelling shows the company has a compelling and economically viable project on its hands. If the management team can lock in the bucketload of spodumene it requires to convince project financiers to back it and jump on board, the project could be on its path to playing an important part in the Canadian electric vehicle battery market's future. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lithium Universe Full Year 2024 Earnings: AU$0.015 loss per share (vs AU$0.016 loss in FY 2023)
Net loss: AU$11.2m (loss widened by 106% from FY 2023). AU$0.015 loss per share. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Lithium Universe shares are down 13% from a week ago. You should learn about the 6 warning signs we've spotted with Lithium Universe . Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lithium Universe signs aluminosilicate supply deal with Lafarge
Lithium Universe has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Lafarge Canada, a cement producer, for the exclusive supply of Aluminosilicate Secondary Product (ASCR) from its Bécancour Lithium Carbonate Refinery in Quebec, Canada. The refinery is designed to produce up to 18,270 tonnes per annum (tpa) of lithium carbonate, utilising a 'globally benchmarked' technology from the Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant. It will produce approximately 130,000tpa of ASCR by-product, which will be marketed to the cement industry as an additive. The ASCR product, rich in silica, aluminium oxide and ferric oxide, is known for improving the 'compressive strength' of cement and reducing costs. Lafarge will collaborate with Lithium Universe to finalise a definitive supply and purchase agreement. The positive pre-feasibility study of the Bécancour Refinery underlines its economic viability, even in a low pricing environment, and positions the company to capitalise on the growing demand for lithium. Lithium Universe chairman Iggy Tan said: "This is great news for Lithium Universe as we partner with Lafarge Canada to enhance the North American battery materials supply chain and promote sustainable innovation in Canada's cement industry. 'This collaboration will not only advance our focus on building Bécancour Lithium refinery's secondary product supply chain but also strengthening local supply chains, fostering a more circular economy in Québec, and contributing to greener construction materials.' The Bécancour Lithium Carbonate Refinery is part of Lithium Universe's mission to address the "lithium conversion gap" in North America. The company aims to support the supply chain for original equipment manufacturers, particularly in the automotive sector, by converting spodumene supply into lithium chemicals for electric vehicle battery plants. With more than 20 major manufacturers planning to deploy an estimated 1,000GW of battery capacity by 2028, the demand for lithium is expected to soar to around 850,000tpa of lithium carbonate equivalent, according to the company. This strategic move by Lithium Universe also supports national security goals by reducing reliance on foreign lithium converters. "Lithium Universe signs aluminosilicate supply deal with Lafarge" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
