Li-Cycle Provides Business Update, Following Announcement of $75 Million Investment from Glencore
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Conference Call and Webcast on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss business update and 2023 financial results
Highlights
-
Announced
strategic investment from Glencore and amended existing convertible note, with expected closing on or about March 25th, 2024;$75 million -
Continuing to work closely with the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the conditional commitment for a loan of up to ;$375 million - Executing on Cash Preservation Plan, including further organization right-sizing and right-shaping, as well as streamlining of operations;
- Delivered 6,825 tonnes of black mass & black mass equivalents, exceeding the top end of the revised annual production guidance; and
- Conducting an internal technical review to examine scope and cost for the Rochester Hub project and confirmed technical viability to produce lithium carbonate and mixed hydroxide precipitate.
“Since embarking on our comprehensive review, we are pleased to report significant progress, including improving our current liquidity position and conducting an internal technical review of the Rochester Hub. We recently announced
“Additionally, as part of our internal technical review of the Rochester Hub project, we confirmed the technical viability of producing lithium carbonate and mixed hydroxide precipitate (“MHP”). We also continue to work closely with the DOE on the conditional commitment for a loan of up to
Financing
Following the announcement by the Company in October 2023 of the construction pause for the Rochester Hub project, the Company formed a Special Committee solely composed of independent Board directors (and which excluded Glencore’s Board representative) (the “Special Committee”) and the Special Committee engaged Moelis & Company LLC (“Moelis”) as its financial advisor to explore financing options and to evaluate strategic alternatives. After a robust process conducted by the Special Committee to review and evaluate potential financial and strategic alternatives available to the Company, Li-Cycle entered into an agreement on March 12, 2024 to issue a senior secured convertible note in an aggregate principal amount of
Glencore’s
Cash Preservation Plan
As part of the pause in construction of the Rochester Hub project, on November 1, 2023, Li-Cycle implemented a Cash Preservation Plan (“CPP”) to reduce expenses and slow cash outflows, while exploring both financing options and strategic alternatives to increase liquidity. As a result of the CPP, the Company has taken steps to significantly reduce its workforce and curtail other non-operational spending.
Additionally, the Company has slowed operations at its Spoke network, including pausing operations at its Ontario Spoke, slowing operations at its New
Based on the go-forward strategic objectives and the CPP, Li-Cycle expects to further right-size and right-shape its organization. The Company will continue to evaluate other measures to reduce costs and expects the results from the CPP to deliver lower cash outflows. As of December 31, 2023 and March 15, 2024, Li-Cycle had cash and cash equivalents on hand of approximately
Rochester Hub Project
On October 23, 2023, the Company announced that it was pausing construction on the Rochester Hub project, pending completion of a comprehensive review of the project’s go-forward strategy. As of December 31, 2023, the Company incurred total costs of approximately
The Company has been conducting an internal technical and economic review of the Rochester Hub project in order to assess a possible change in the project development strategy. The internal technical review has focused on constructing, commissioning and operating only those process areas needed to produce two key products: lithium carbonate and MHP, containing nickel, cobalt and manganese. The construction, commissioning and operating costs for process areas associated with production of nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate, as originally planned for the Rochester Hub, have not been included in the internal technical review and there are no current plans that include production of nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate. The internal technical review confirmed the technical viability of the MHP process and allows the project to proceed on a schedule aligned with the Company's current expectations regarding the timing and evolution of the battery recycling and EV markets, subject to obtaining any required permits, regulatory approvals, if needed, and additional financing.
As part of the internal technical review, the Company has conducted an engineering study internally and estimates the cost to complete (“CTC”) the Rochester Hub project under the MHP scope at approximately
The CTC estimate for the MHP scope is based solely upon the internal technical review, is subject to a number of assumptions, including refining detailed engineering, procurement, construction activities, including the cost of labor and is likely to change. The Company continues to complete its comprehensive review work, including re-engaging and re-bidding construction subcontracts. In addition to the CTC, the Company will incur costs during the construction pause between October 23, 2023 to the potential project re-start date, which the Company expects to fund with current cash and required additional interim funding. The Company will also incur other costs such as working capital, commissioning and ramp-up costs and financing costs which will be included in the full funding solution.
Key Glencore Investment Terms
The Glencore
In addition, Li-Cycle and Glencore have agreed to amend and restate the terms of the existing Glencore convertible note, which was issued on May 31, 2022 and has a current aggregate principal amount outstanding of approximately
The issuance and sale of the senior secured convertible note to Glencore is subject to customary closing conditions and the expiration of the ten-day period for required notice to shareholders informing them of the Company’s reliance on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) financial viability exception to the NYSE’s shareholder approval policy and is expected to close on or about March 25, 2024.
Webcast and Conference Call Information
On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time, the Company management will host a webcast and conference call to provide a business update and a review of financial results for full year 2023 as filed and reported on Friday March 15, 2024. The related presentation materials for the webcast and conference call will be made available on the investor section of the Li-Cycle website: https://investors.li-cycle.com/overview/default.aspx
Investors may listen to the conference call live via audio-only webcast or through the following dial-in numbers:
Domestic: (800) 579-2543
International: (203) 518-9814
Participant Code: LICYQ423
Webcast: https://investors.li-cycle.com
A replay of the conference call/webcast will also be made available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.li-cycle.com.
About Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.
Li-Cycle (NYSE: LICY) is a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company. Established in 2016, and with major customers and partners around the world, Li-Cycle’s mission is to recover critical battery-grade materials to create a domestic closed-loop battery supply chain for a clean energy future. The Company leverages its innovative, sustainable and patent-protected Spoke & Hub Technologies™ to recycle all different types of lithium-ion batteries. At our Spokes, or pre-processing facilities, we recycle battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries to produce black mass, a powder-like substance which contains a number of valuable metals, including lithium, nickel and cobalt. At our future Hubs, or post-processing facilities, we plan to process black mass to produce critical battery-grade materials, including lithium carbonate, for the lithium-ion battery supply chain. For more information, visit https://li-cycle.com/.
Cautionary Notes - Forward-Looking Statements and Unaudited Results
Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the
These forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding certain key elements of Li-Cycle’s current objectives, goals, targets, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of Li-Cycle’s business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes and is not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Li-Cycle, and are not guarantees of future performance. Li-Cycle believes that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: Li-Cycle’s inability to economically and efficiently source, recover and recycle lithium-ion batteries and lithium-ion battery manufacturing scrap, as well as third party black mass, and to meet the market demand for an environmentally sound, closed-loop solution for manufacturing waste and end-of-life lithium-ion batteries; Li-Cycle’s inability to successfully implement its global growth strategy, on a timely basis or at all; Li-Cycle’s inability to manage future global growth effectively; Li-Cycle’s inability to develop the Rochester Hub as anticipated or at all, and other future projects including its Spoke network expansion projects in a timely manner or on budget or that those projects will not meet expectations with respect to their productivity or the specifications of their end products; Li-Cycle's history of losses and expected significant expenses for the foreseeable future as well as additional funds required to meet Li-Cycle’s liquidity needs and capital requirements in the future not being available to Li-Cycle on acceptable terms or at all when it needs them; risk and uncertainties related to Li-Cycle’s ability to continue as a going concern; uncertainty related to the success of Li-Cycle’s Cash Preservation Plan and related past and expected near-term further significant workforce reductions; Li-Cycle's inability to attract, train and retain top talent who possess specialized knowledge and technical skills; Li-Cycle’s failure to oversee and supervise strategic review of all or any of Li-Cycle’s operations and capital project and obtain financing and other strategic alternatives; Li-Cycle’s ability to service its debt and the restrictive nature of the terms of its debt; Li-Cycle's potential engagement in strategic transactions, including acquisitions, that could disrupt its business, cause dilution to its shareholders, reduce its financial resources, result in incurrence of debt, or prove not to be successful; one or more of Li-Cycle's current or future facilities becoming inoperative, capacity constrained or disrupted, or lacking sufficient feed streams to remain in operation; the potential impact of the pause in construction of the Rochester Hub on the authorizations and permits granted to Li-Cycle for the operation of the Rochester Hub and the Spokes on pause; the risk that the
Li-Cycle assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Li-Cycle’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240318851351/en/
Investor Relations
Nahla Azmy
Sheldon D'souza
Email: investors@li-cycle.com
Media
Louie Diaz
Email: media@li-cycle.com
Source: Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.
FAQ
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