Li-ion Energy PTY LTD

Basic Information

Applicant Type: Organisation

Organisation Name: Li-ion Energy PTY LTD

Main Questions

Problem Solution

Australia faces a growing challenge in the safe, compliant, and sustainable management of used batteries across all chemistries—lithium-ion, lead-acid, nickel cadmium, alkaline, and others. Battery use is accelerating across consumer electronics, power tools, mobility devices, off-grid systems, and industrial machinery. However, due to limited infrastructure and fragmented logistics, batteries are frequently stockpiled, mishandled, or disposed of incorrectly—creating fire risks, environmental hazards, and a major loss of recoverable materials.
Most existing solutions treat batteries as homogenous waste. Bulk shredding or export is the norm, with minimal segregation by chemistry or intervention for reuse. This increases downstream processing costs, safety risks, and carbon impact. For regional councils, waste management companies, and commercial sites, there is a clear gap in accessible, cost-effective, and fully compliant battery recovery services.
Li-ion Energy is solving this by establishing a decentralised battery collection, dismantling, and reuse model that covers all major battery types. Our proposed Queensland expansion involves setting up a satellite facility in Ipswich, Logan, or Brisbane to intake, sort, and prepare batteries for reuse or recycling.
We will operate a 12-month trial supported by two dedicated utility vehicles:
One collecting batteries from industrial and commercial sites, waste companies, and e-waste handlers.

The second servicing regional councils and mining companies, establishing strategic collection points based on quantities and places with greatest need. At our facility, batteries will be sorted by chemistry and condition. Reusable batteries—especially lithium-ion, but also lead-acid and nickel-based chemistries—will be diverted into second-life applications in a proposed partnership with Second Life Cells in Brisbane, who will handle resale and distribution, exactly their field of expertise. . Non-reusable batteries will be dismantled, de-energised, and supplied to Envirostream for downstream processing under a negotiated pricing agreement, benefiting them as they receive ready to process cells.
This approach enables:
Safer local handling and dismantling of battery waste

High-value recovery of reusable materials

Lower processing costs for downstream recyclers

Compliant recordkeeping and traceability for councils and clients

New local employment and circular economy outcomes

Impact

For Queensland’s waste recycling industry, this model increases overall system efficiency. Envirostream will benefit from higher-quality inputs and reduced contamination. Our presence helps close the loop on battery waste by creating a high-value reuse pathway that currently does not exist at scale outside of our current working area.
This approach directly supports Queensland’s Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy by:
Enhancing onshore processing capacity

Supporting circular economy outcomes through reuse

Reducing landfill and fire risks

Improving access to recycling infrastructure across urban and regional areas

The community benefits from safer battery disposal options, reduced environmental risk, and the availability of affordable, repurposed energy storage products. Councils gain a reliable partner for hazardous battery waste management without needing to build internal capability.
We enable Current clients who operate nationally to extend their contracts with us into Queensland, building a stable, multi-stream supply base for the region’s recyclers, as well as unlocking the partnership works with Pure Environmental, an organisation we have been building ties with whose model can greatly increase the efficacy of the initiative; their logistical reach can likely prove more viable for them to handle regional collections after the trial 12 months.
After the trial period, we intend to scale our collection footprint statewide, introducing more vehicles, drop-off points, and regional partnerships to expand the circular recovery of batteries across the entirety of Queensland.
This project provides an immediate, hands-on solution to one of Queensland’s most volatile and poorly managed waste streams—delivering commercial, environmental, and safety benefits across industry and community.

Business Model

Li-ion Energy Pty Ltd is an award-nominated Western Australian company that specialises in the recovery, reconditioning, and recycling of battery and electronic waste across all chemistries. Founded in 2023, we shifted away from new battery construction and are Australia’s first lithium reuse facility to operate at scale, servicing the majority of large waste management companies in WA, as well as organisations on the east coast. Our model bridges the gap between collection and final processing, allowing for safe sorting, reuse, and compliant forwarding of batteries that would otherwise be prematurely destroyed or exported. Our strategy works, we make the process more attractive for waste managers by implementing our circular model to reduce their fees and increase their profit, this in turn fosters proactive targeting of battery contracts which benefits our companies’ primary goal; increase battery recycling figures to reach sustainable levels as fast as possible.
Our skills with lithium batteries in particular, has opened the door for us into ewaste management. This is due to the sheer number of electronic devices containing embedded batteries. This is a specialty of ours; we can process encapsulated devices such as smart meters, epirbs and vapes out to half the cost of most others.
We have developed a unique business model based on circular economy principles—prioritising reuse and second-life applications over immediate destruction. In Western Australia, we collect and process over 30 tonnes per month of battery waste from contracted ongoing agreements alone. In addition to this, we also handle once-off heavy industry consignments, the largest to date being 186,000kg.
We regularly achieve a 28% successful recirculation rate. Our best to date is 82% for a single consignment. Viable batteries are reconditioned with our self developed proprietary process. Made possible by using equipment we have designed and built ourselves, alongside high tech manufacturing equipment we have modified/reprogrammed to suit our requirements. Our process is comprehensive and highly accurate, holistic methodology is what enables our performance guarantee through warranty.
We have established a similar approach in WA, the difference being we have had to establish the service ourselves, due to being ineligible for funding by the WA state government and their unbelievable position against battery reuse! Thankfully, after a year of lobbying and waste industry support, a full policy reversal is underway and funding for reuse will be unlocked. .
With the support of a progressive Queensland government and industry cooperation, our established and proven model will transform the state’s battery waste industry rapidly.
Safe work methodology, work procedures and business strategy are already in place. No pilot is required. We will hit the ground running and process 20 tonnes monthly throughput by 12 weeks and 50 tonnes in 12 months. That’s 380 tonnes in the first year, based off 75kg/kWh Co2e, equating to 1,250,000kg of CO2 emissions prevented by recirculating the reusable batteries alone. EOL recycling will result in approximately 32 tonnes of recycled plastics, 40 tonnes of copper and nickel, 24 tonnes of aluminium, 38 tonnes of graphite, 5 tonnes of lithium and 35 tonnes of unrecoverable waste material.

Market Readiness

Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
Our core lithium battery recovery and reuse system in WA is currently operating at TRL 9, with proven and revenue-generating commercial operations already established in Western Australia. We process and recondition over 30 tonnes of lithium batteries per month, with successful partnerships in place with Cleanaway, C.D. Dodd, Motorola, ASB, Veolia and more. Our in-house dismantling, sorting, and reuse systems are actively deployed and scalable, with mature fire mitigation infrastructure, customised management plans and environmental compliance already demonstrated.
In addition to this, we have begun construction of a mechanical separation recycling plant, chemical and heat free, at our primary workshop in Perth. Designed ourselves with, of course, second hand processing equipment, this aspect of our operations is TRL 7. Why our plant is different to others ? It’s is transportable, housed within a converted sea container with regulated atmosphere and generated no emissions whilst still producing viable black mass as revenue-generating quality. We will not be engaging in EOL recycling works in Queensland. We will work alongside our friends and colleagues at Envirostream, who are the industry leaders in that process. By engaging Envirostream, we can establish a facility and have it fully operational in 3 months after the green light, if the need is urgent enough, 6 weeks.
We will hire Queenslanders, fly them to Perth for 2 weeks for intensive training and send them back with the support of 2 highly experienced technicians/supervisors to complete the training and handover operational control to a local supervisor. Business management, HR, coordination tasks will be conducted by our team at our head office, ensuring a smooth transition by an experienced and effective team already in place and operating.
For our Queensland expansion, which will replicate and adapt our model for regional deployment, we are at TRL 7–8. We have the technology and processes proven in one market, all aspects of operations are directly transferable and near identical. As we have in place in WA, a simple process to ensure continuous monitoring and review of Queenslands relevant regulatory requirements will be inplemented. As corporate members of both the Waste Recycling Industry Association and the Association for the Battery Recycling Industry, we benefit from the flow of regulatory information that stems from the organisations, as well as their support.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
Our core lithium battery recovery and reuse system in WA is currently operating at TRL 9, with proven and revenue-generating commercial operations already established in Western Australia. We process and recondition over 30 tonnes of lithium batteries per month, with successful partnerships in place with Cleanaway, C.D. Dodd, Motorola, ASB, Veolia and more. Our in-house dismantling, sorting, and reuse systems are actively deployed and scalable, with mature fire mitigation infrastructure, customised management plans and environmental compliance already demonstrated.
In addition to this, we have begun construction of a mechanical separation recycling plant, chemical and heat free, at our primary workshop in Perth. Designed ourselves with, of course, second hand processing equipment, this aspect of our operations is TRL 7. Why our plant is different to others ? It’s is transportable, housed within a converted sea container with regulated atmosphere and generated no emissions whilst still producing viable black mass as revenue-generating quality. We will not be engaging in EOL recycling works in Queensland. We will work alongside our friends and colleagues at Envirostream, who are the industry leaders in that process. By engaging Envirostream, we can establish a facility and have it fully operational in 3 months after the green light, if the need is urgent enough, 6 weeks.
We will hire Queenslanders, fly them to Perth for 2 weeks for intensive training and send them back with the support of 2 highly experienced technicians/supervisors to complete the training and handover operational control to a local supervisor. Business management, HR, coordination tasks will be conducted by our team at our head office, ensuring a smooth transition by an experienced and effective team already in place and operating.
For our Queensland expansion, which will replicate and adapt our model for regional deployment, we are at TRL 7–8. We have the technology and processes proven in one market, all aspects of operations are directly transferable and near identical. As we have in place in WA, a simple process to ensure continuous monitoring and review of Queenslands relevant regulatory requirements will be inplemented. As corporate members of both the Waste Recycling Industry Association and the Association for the Battery Recycling Industry, we benefit from the flow of regulatory information that stems from the organisations, as well as their support.

Piloting completed so far within active operations :
Refurbishment of EV modules and ion, LFP cells into second-life battery packs. for Mobility, ev, solar, recreation, aviation and marine
We work with ion, LFP, LMP, LiSo2, LiSoCl2, LMnO2, primary, NiCad, NiMH, Lead acid, AGM. Fluent in all chemistry type handling.
We utilise plastic lined 500lt IBC and Nallys to store and transport batteries. The use of steel reinforced unlined containers that some large organisations use, in our opinion is not only highly unsafe, but extremely wasteful.
We have yet to meet a single client that is equipped to safely de energise their batteries before being loaded into these containers. Nor should they even attempt to do so. Which means it’s all but guaranteed that every single container used by these organisations, contain live batteries being transported in a steel box. It’s a recipe for disaster, even the smallest prolonged short circuit event that does not produce immediate combustion occurs within the container during transport, delayed thermal runaway can be triggered and not reach combustion temperatures for days after the event. We have seen this happen, thankfully we identified the delayed runaway with thermal imaging measurements taken upon arrival at our facility, standard practice, and stopped the reaction. We use passive suppression technology that is housed within the containers above the batteries under the , the lid. The lining of the material housing CellBlockex disintegrates when exposed to heat, which then dumps the material onto the batteries. CellBlockex is extremely effective, cheap and very reliable. Our plastic containers are 1/10th the cost of the steel ones mentioned.
Safe dismantling, sorting, and storage systems already in use and proven effective will simply be duplicated at our satellite QLD branch.
We are at 20% completion (3 months left) of our first of 9, containerised microgrid systems (1.7–2MWh) . The last of which is planned for completion in 24 months. Our pilot build is an Australian first, intended to aid in decarbonising remote regional WA Indigenous communities, replacing diesel power generation, preventing 200,000kg of CO2 production through reuse, as well as 95,000 kg for each of the 10 years of service life they have in the field that the diesel generators would produce.
As we do in WA, from day 1, all materials will be weighed and recorded. Transparent records management tracks every single kg of materials, batteries by chemistry, plastics , metals , waste, contaminants. As well as comprehensive reuse statistics for accurate environmental monitoring. QLD records will far surpass WA records, unfortunately we did not begin comprehensive records management for months, not realising the significance of seemingly insignificant statistics.
We have build batteries, both new and used for a vast range of applications, from submersible to electric aviation, Ebike to electric vehicle, camping power supplies to containerised systems that will power 40-60 homes. This will continue in Queensland. Our assembly technicians will attend the satellite branch regularly to assess stock for projects and conduct training. We will always opt to build there over transporting them back to Perth. Training will be continuous
Further testing and piloting required before commercial launch in QLD:
We have an established working relationship with Andrew Chadwick of Second Life Cell Sales. His company resells used batteries. We will negotiate a cooperative deal that will result in his organisation on selling the reusable batteries through his long established network and sales platform. Meaning that revenue from this is near immediate.
We have a relationship with Envirostream and can come to a contracted end of recycling arrangement in a very short time, as it’s mutually beneficial. Batteries we collect can be recycled by Envirostream within a week of beginning works.
Data reporting integration for ESG and carbon benefit tracking, tailored however the QLD government requests it be done.
We must secure a facility, we will not need EPA approval however we will still seek the green light from them as well as the local council that governs the location of our workshop.
We must purchase 2 light trucks for collections.
We will require 20 Nally bins immediately. We convert them in-house. More will be required as expansion continues.
We will order all necessary testing equipment upon confirmation of go-ahead. If the timeframe does not allow for the 2 months our equipment will take to arrive, we can have systems shipped via sea freight container and rail within 1 week from Perth to QLD to ensure there are no delays.
Insurances for QLD can be obtained by our current providers, a simple duplication of the current with tailoring to the satellite branch’s location.

12 weeks for 100% capacity under WA branch supervision. 6 months for 100% operational condition with all QLD permanent staff.

Team

Li-ion Energy is uniquely positioned to deliver this project on time, on budget, and with immediate impact. We have already established and successfully operated a similar battery recovery, reuse, and recycling facility in Western Australia, covering all major battery chemistries. Our WA operation includes full dismantling, segregation, reuse, and compliant downstream processing under formal agreements with established industry partners. The Queensland facility will follow this model closely, adapted to the specific needs of regional and urban waste streams in the state, and supported by our existing systems, personnel, and technical infrastructure.

Our team has delivered multiple high-complexity logistics and waste recovery projects at scale. This includes multi-stream national collections, integration of fire mitigation systems, and the development of custom dismantling and reuse protocols for high-risk chemistries such as lithium metal, LFP, and LMP. We have also designed and are currently constructing a modular mechanical separation facility using adapted second-hand industrial equipment—demonstrating our ability to innovate while remaining highly cost-efficient.

The Queensland expansion will be managed by a project delivery team with proven experience in heavy industry, mining, manufacturing, and circular economy implementation:
• Project Director (COO, Li-ion Energy) has over 15 years of experience in large-scale project management within the mining sector, including electrical systems, safety-critical environments, fire suppression, and workforce supervision. He has overseen the rapid scaling of Li-ion Energy from a small startup to a commercial operation with national contracts and comprehensive recovery systems across multiple battery chemistries.
• Lead Engineer (Boilermaker and Production Systems Specialist) is a full-time employee with extensive experience in industrial fabrication, systems integration, and heavy-duty equipment modification. He played a critical role in developing our proprietary dismantling rigs, sorting stations, and fire-safe battery transport systems.
• Operations and Administrative Support is handled by our established Perth-based team, covering logistics coordination, invoicing, compliance, HR, and client liaison. This support infrastructure ensures that the Queensland branch will benefit from immediate operational continuity and professional back-office management without needing to duplicate administrative functions locally.
• Technical Supervisors from WA will be deployed to Queensland to oversee site setup and lead initial workforce training. Selected local hires will be flown to Perth for hands-on training at our primary facility, then return to Queensland with experienced supervisors to complete operational onboarding and transition to safe, independent management.

We have strong working relationships with key industry players such as Envirostream and Second Life Cells, both of whom will play a critical role in the success of this project. Envirostream is prepared to receive dismantled and pre-sorted battery feedstock at scale, significantly reducing their processing costs and turnaround times. Second Life Cells will manage resale and redistribution of repurposed batteries through a revenue-sharing partnership, ensuring immediate reuse outcomes.

All required equipment and storage systems are either already in stock or available for rapid deployment from Perth. Our testing and discharge stations can be duplicated quickly or transferred via freight if needed to meet startup timelines. Collection vehicles and site equipment have been priced and scheduled for acquisition pending funding approval.

As corporate members of both the Waste Recycling Industry Association of WA and the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative, we are fully informed on current regulatory standards and updates. Our recordkeeping systems are fully digital, with kilogram-level traceability by chemistry, recovery pathway, and client source—enabling full ESG reporting and environmental compliance for clients across both public and private sectors.

This project is not speculative—it is the regional deployment of a proven, award-nominated model that is already operating in one of Australia’s most resource-constrained states. With appropriate support and minimal lead time, Li-ion Energy can replicate this impact in Queensland and establish a compliant, scalable solution to one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the country.