Li-ion Energy: Gosnells business recycling and reusing lithium batteries dealing with ‘unbelievable demand’

A Perth business dedicated to reconditioning and reusing lithium battery cells says it is experiencing an “unbelievable” amount of demand from consumers across WA. Amid a spate of waste truck battery fires, Gosnells-based Li-ion Energy is working to intercept lithium battery cells before they reach landfill or end-of-life facilities. The business idea was born when founder Justin Manton was in a near-fatal scooter crash last year. He is an electrician by trade with two decades of experience and found himself experimenting with the batteries while he recovered. “While I was recovering, I was having a tinker around and having a play trying to figure them out,” he said. He said he was acutely aware of a “big gap in the market” for battery reuse and so began Li-ion Energy out of his garage. Lithium-ion batteries are energy-dense and contain material that is highly flammable, according to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. They are also increasingly used to power many portable devices such as phones, power banks and equipment such as electric bikes. Mr Manton, who runs the business alongside his partner Sarai Ball, says between 70 and 80 per cent of high-quality used lithium batteries can be recovered. Their business operates via two divisions: Li-ion Performance, which focuses on building high-performance battery packs from new cells, and Li-ion Re-Energy, which specialises in reconditioning used lithium cells to create battery packs for e-mobility devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters and power storage systems. Batteries that cannot be reused are safely de-constructed and sent to end-of-life facilities. Mr Manton said the batteries could be dropped off to Li-ion Energy at their Gosnells premises, brought via Uber delivery or even Australia Post. The business has received half a dozen from the postal service so far from WA’s South West and north. The disposal of vapes and e-cigarettes has become a growing problem for local governments and Mr Manton said Li-ion Energy had recently received a 1800kg delivery of vapes. “Lithium batteries themselves are inherently safe as is their chemistry, it’s only when they come in contact with humans, that’s when the issue comes up,” he said. Local governments across Perth have pleaded with households to correctly dispose of lithium batteries after a spate of fires in rubbish trucks and waste facilities. A survey of waste contractors found WA rubbish trucks and facilities were experiencing three fires a week — with national figures as high as 30 per day, on average. In July, emergency services reported responding to an increasing number of lithium-ion battery fires. City of Cockburn director of infrastructure services Anton Lees told PerthNow the district experienced a waste truck fire about once every six months — mainly caused either by batteries or aerosol cans. “These events are very concerning for waste truck operators and the community and the city deploys a raft of procedures to ensure safety is our highest priority,” he said. The truck fire pictured resulted in repair costs of $35,000 for the city, with the truck out of action for a couple of weeks before returning to service. It would cost $450,000 to replace a waste truck damaged beyond repair. “Clean-up costs can depend on the location that the material has to be dumped to allow the fire to be extinguished, the amount of waste in the truck, landfill charges, damage to road pavement, storm water and drainage infrastructure, and any landscaped areas,” Mr Lees said. In Perth’s southeast, the City of Canning has experienced 11 serious incidents over two years relating to fires caused by lithium batteries. “In all cases, the clean-up efforts and disruption to daily operations is very costly,” mayor Patrick Hall said. “Incorrectly disposed lithium batteries continue to pose a significant problem for the entire Waste Management Industry.” Li-ion Energy is in the midst of an expansion and move to a new premises in Gosnells, where it will re-open mid-January in a bid to recondition 1000 to 2000 battery cells per day.