BUFFALO, New York – Viridi Parente, Inc., a developer of innovative battery technology that can be safely installed and operated in virtually any environment and location, today announced that the company has sold its first batch of lithium-ion batteries to Li -Cycle Corp. has delivered. , an industry leader in lithium-ion battery resource recovery and the leading lithium-ion battery recycler in North America. By recycling 100% of the old cells, Viridi Parente expands the company's commitment to the sustainability of energy supply and the circular energy economy by enabling the wider acceptance of safe lithium-ion batteries for industry, commerce, municipalities, medicine and private households.
“It was important for us to find a recycling partner who shares our vision of growing the green economy through innovation and by minimizing the overall ecological footprint of electrification solutions. Together with Li-Cycle, Viridi will be part of the solution to the global end problem Lithium-ion batteries, “said Jon M. Williams, CEO of Viridi Parente.
As of 2019, just over half of the world's 180,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries available for recycling have been recycled. Li-Cycle can process up to 10,000 tons of used lithium-ion batteries per year, and Viridi Parente plans to recycle 100% of its old cells.
Traditionally, the battery recycling process involves a melting process that leads to high emissions and less than 50% recovery of materials. With its patented Spoke & Hub Technologies ™, Li-Cycle recovers up to 95% of the materials contained in lithium-ion batteries. The Zero Waste Process converts manufacturing waste and used batteries into intermediate products, including “black mass”, a powder substance that contains cobalt, nickel, lithium and other valuable elements. The “black mass” is processed through a hydrometallurgical cycle to produce critical battery grade materials that can be recycled into the economy. This minimizes the overall ecological footprint of the end-to-end resource recovery process and reduces the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise result from the depletion of these finite resources.
“Creating a circular supply chain is a critical step in getting battery systems to the point of use – in buildings and mobile applications – which is an important part of fulfilling the state and our country's top climate initiatives,” said Williams.
In New York, 66% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation and buildings. Viridi Parente offers safe battery technology for these point-of-use applications. The company's Green Machine business provides high-performance mobile electrification for traditionally diesel-powered construction equipment. The Volta Energy business provides industrial, commercial, medical, municipal and residential energy consumers with clean and reliable backup power, as well as the ability to manage and reduce overall consumption. Viridi's architecture is the only design on the market that can be securely installed in almost any environment or location.
In addition to avoiding landfill for its batteries, Viridi Parente's relationship with Li-Cycle builds on the company's promise to promote the economic development of its local community and create an energy ecosystem in New York that will help meet its decarbonization goals of the state contributes.
Viridi batteries are manufactured at its Buffalo, New York facility. This has improved the local population by converting a fossil fuel plant into a solar powered one. Now the company's batteries are being recycled at the Li-Cycle facility in Rochester, New York, a similar adaptive reuse project housed in a former Eastman Kodak facility.
“This partnership with Li-Cycle is a great example of how local businesses can work together to create a fully renewable economy that benefits everyone regardless of their zip code,” said Dennis Elsenbeck, President of Viridi Parente.
“We have great appreciation for Viridi Parente as we both share a commitment to developing an energy ecosystem that prioritizes sustainability in terms of recovering lithium-ion battery resources,” said Ajay Kochhar, President, CEO and Co-Founder of Li -Cycle. “Our commercial lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Rochester, New York, is a great example of our environmental initiatives when we converted a Kodak facility that previously housed photo-processing chemicals to improve the quality of life in the surrounding communities We look forward to receiving our first shipment of batteries from Viridi Parente and thank you for contributing to our mission to close the lithium ion battery supply loop. “
About Green Parente
Viridi Parente (Viridi) is a disruptive energy company in Buffalo that is transforming the way we use energy and improving systems, communities and lives. Viridi uses safe lithium-ion battery technology in applications that have historically been dominated by fossil fuel sources. The innovative architecture is made from materials for aerospace and military applications and is the only design on the market that can be safely installed and operated in almost any environment and location. Through its subsidiary Green Machine Equipment, Viridi brings quiet, fully renewable mobile energy solutions to products in the construction equipment, waste disposal, last mile delivery and other portable industrial markets. Through its subsidiary Volta Energy Products, Viridi offers on-site stationary storage technology that is safe, locatable and reliable for industrial, medical, commercial, municipal and residential applications. Find out more at: www.viridiparente.com.
About Li-Cycle
Li-Cycle Corp. (Li-Cycle) has set itself the task of using its innovative Spoke & Hub Technologies ™ to provide a customer-oriented end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries and at the same time to create a secondary supply with critical battery materials. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are increasingly powering our world in the automotive, energy storage, consumer electronics, and other industrial and household applications. The world needs improved technology and supply chain innovations to better manage the end-of-life of these batteries – and to meet the rapidly growing demand for critical and scarce battery-grade materials through a closed-loop solution.