Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) leads the path forward in clean energy innovation with MJHT

As the global clean energy transition accelerates, so too does the urgency to address the growing volume of end of life solar panels.

Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) has recently announced the acquisition of exclusive global rights to a breakthrough technology known as Microwave Joule Heating Technology (MJHT), designed to revolutionise solar panel recycling through a low emissions, room temperature process that preserves valuable materials.

To unpack the strategic significance of this move and how it complements LU7’s core focus on lithium refining, we sat down with Executive Chair Iggy Tan for a detailed discussion.

The Q&A below explores the environmental and commercial impact of MJHT, the rationale behind LU7’s entry into this market, and the company’s roadmap toward commercialisation.

What makes MJHT such a transformative technology for solar panel recycling?

The Microwave Joule Heating Technology (MJHT) represents a fundamentally different approach to solar panel recycling by selectively targeting the EVA encapsulant within panels using microwave energy.

This process softens the encapsulant without damaging the surrounding materials such as glass, silver, and silicon, unlike traditional methods that rely on high temperature furnaces, mechanical shredding, or corrosive chemicals like nitric and hydrofluoric acid.

What makes MJHT particularly compelling is its ability to operate at room temperature with low emissions, completely avoiding toxic byproducts.

From an environmental perspective, it is substantially cleaner, and commercially, the technology’s capacity to preserve and recover valuable materials such as silver, silicon, gallium, and indium significantly enhances the economic proposition.

“With solar panel waste expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, MJHT does not simply offer an incremental improvement. It delivers the right solution at precisely the right time.”

Why is LU7 entering the solar panel recycling space when your main focus is lithium?

Our core mission has always been to support the clean energy transition by supplying and recovering critical materials.

While our flagship project remains the Bécancour Lithium Refinery, the MJHT technology aligns closely with our broader strategic goals.

It establishes a second vertical that leverages many of the same capabilities we’ve built in lithium processing, namely chemical separation, pilot testing, flowsheet optimisation, and scalable plant design.

This is not a departure from lithium, in fact, we are also evaluating how MJHT can enhance our lithium refining operations by improving the calcination and sulphation stages at Bécancour, which currently require temperatures of 1080°C and 280°C respectively.

By incorporating microwave heating, we see potential to significantly reduce both energy usage and operational costs.

“Rather than being a distraction, this move represents a smart extension of our expertise, a diversification strategy that broadens our technical footprint while keeping us agile and innovative, particularly during a period of soft lithium pricing.”

What is the commercial potential of this recycling market and how will LU7 capitalise on it?

The commercial opportunity is immense, global photovoltaic (PV) waste is forecast to reach up to 8 million tonnes by 2030 and an extraordinary 78 million tonnes by 2050.

In Australia alone, it is estimated that 1 million tonnes of end-of-life solar panels will accumulate by 2035, representing a market worth over A$1 billion.

At the same time, demand for CIGS solar cells is anticipated to push that segment alone to US$12.23 billion by 2032.

Despite these figures, only around 15 percent of solar panels are currently recycled, that gap presents both a pressing challenge and a substantial opportunity.

The market for PV material recycling is projected to exceed US$2.7 billion by 2030 and reach as much as US$80 billion by 2050.

With exclusive worldwide rights to MJHT, LU7 is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this opportunity, we plan to fast track development, commencing pilot testing by 2030 and targeting commercial deployment by 2032.

Our experienced in house team, along with a global network of processing experts who have built and operated lithium plants, will be critical to executing this strategy successfully.

How will this technology compare to traditional recycling methods in terms of material recovery?

The difference is striking.

Traditional recycling methods, such as shredding, tend to recover only low value bulk materials like aluminium, copper, and glass, while high value elements like silver and silicon are often lost due to cross contamination or destruction.

As a result, silver recovery rates are often less than five percent.

In contrast, delamination based methods like MJHT enable total material recovery rates exceeding 95 percent by value.

Silver, for example, can be almost fully extracted, and silicon can be preserved in a purer, reusable form.

Independent analysis by MINES Paris and ROSI Solar confirms that the economic value of materials recovered through delamination can be three to four times greater than what is achieved through crushing based techniques.

This represents a substantial commercial uplift and also improves circularity, which is increasingly important to investors, regulators, and end users alike.

Has the ASX approved the acquisition without a Chapter 11 submission?

Yes, the ASX has confirmed that a Chapter 11 submission is not required for this acquisition.

This is a key point of clarity for investors, the reason is that the nature and scale of the MJHT acquisition is entirely consistent with LU7’s existing business activities.

Unlike many companies in the resource sector that are classified as explorers and must re-comply when acquiring assets, LU7 is categorised as an industrial company.

That classification gives us greater operational flexibility, especially when pursuing technology-driven initiatives in downstream processing and critical material recovery.

This acquisition is not a backdoor listing, nor is it a shift away from lithium.

It sits well within our core business model, strengthens our competencies in chemical processing, and supports our long-term strategy of adding value across the clean energy supply chain.

It is an accretive, forward-facing initiative that complements our work at Bécancour while opening new avenues in PV recycling.

What are the next steps for commercialising MJHT and what role will LU7 play in the development process?

With global rights now secured through our acquisition of New Age Minerals, our immediate focus turns to execution.

We will begin detailed research and development in collaboration with Macquarie University to further refine the MJHT process, followed by pilot plant construction and, ultimately, full commercial deployment.

Our target is to complete pilot testing by 2030 and commence commercial operations by 2032.

LU7 will fund and manage the development process, applying our deep expertise in process design to maximise recovery efficiency and economic return.

Our Board, which includes seasoned chemical engineers and metallurgists who have delivered large scale operations, including lithium refineries and the expansion of the Greenbushes Mine, will guide this rollout.

We are also evaluating dual use potential, particularly how MJHT might be used to reduce energy consumption in the calcination and sulphation stages of spodumene processing at Bécancour.

This would further reduce operating costs and improve environmental performance.

“This is not a passive licensing strategy. LU7 is actively driving the development of a commercially viable, scalable recycling solution that fits seamlessly within our clean energy mission and delivers long-term value to both the business and the broader sector.”

Path Forward

LU7’s adoption of Microwave Joule Heating Technology is not simply a diversification; it is a deliberate, forward thinking extension of the company’s technical expertise and strategic positioning.

With global rights secured, an experienced in-house development team, and partnerships already forming with academic institutions, LU7 is well placed to lead the next phase of innovation in solar panel recycling.

As demand for critical materials intensifies and global photovoltaic waste volumes surge, technologies like MJHT will be pivotal in bridging the gap between sustainability and profitability.

LU7 is approaching this opportunity with the same disciplined execution that has defined its lithium operations, setting a clear course to deliver meaningful commercial and environmental outcomes by the early 2030s.

This initiative reinforces Lithium Universe’s commitment to building long-term value across the clean energy supply chain while responding to one of the most pressing challenges of the renewable energy era.

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