Bridge Green Upcycle signs commercial agreement with Hartree Partners for lithium carbonate supply

The commercial agreement with Hartree Partners

Bridge Green Upcycle, a US-based company that recovers critical minerals from scrap lithium-ion batteries, has entered a commercial agreement valued at $0.5–$1 billion with American commodities trading firm Hartree Partners, according to a September 22, 2026 report from The Hindu BusinessLine. Under the deal, Hartree will purchase and market approximately 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate produced by Bridge Green each year for an eight-year term, with the option to renew for an additional seven years. The Times of India, also dated September 22, 2026, characterized the arrangement as a commercial deal for lithium covering construction sites and commercial establishments.

Scale of the lithium carbonate commitment

Bridge Green operates a critical mineral recovery plant for lithium-ion batteries in Chennai with a processing capacity of 7,200 tonnes per annum. The annual volume that Hartree has committed to purchase and market, approximately 10,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate, exceeds that existing annual processing capacity, indicating that the agreement is intended to scale with Bridge Green's planned expansion. The Hindu BusinessLine reported that first lithium carbonate volumes under the agreement are projected in 2028.

Equity investment and Project Vault context

The commercial agreement coincides with an equity investment by Hartree in Bridge Green's bridge financing round, which is intended to fund expansion of battery recycling and critical mineral refining. "This agreement marks a defining milestone and a significant step towards developing a circular supply chain for Bridge Green. The scale and long-term commitment by Hartree, following a rigorous evaluation process, provide strong validation of our technology and business model," said Balki Iyer, Bridge Green's Founder & CEO. Landon Berns, Hartree's Head of Battery and Critical Minerals, said, "Critical minerals are a key pillar of Hartree's growth strategy, and securing a domestic supply while returning recovered materials to productive use are core components of our approach." The Hindu BusinessLine also noted that in February the US government announced Project Vault, a proposed $12 billion public-private Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve with Hartree selected as a supplier, providing broader policy context for Hartree's engagement with critical-mineral supply chains.

Next milestone

The first lithium carbonate volumes under the Hartree agreement are projected for 2028, tied to Bridge Green's planned expansion of battery recycling and critical mineral refining capacity funded through the bridge financing round.