The complexity of the availability of waste batteries is more complex than the reuse of EOL EV battery.Historically, the electronics region has produced the highest amount of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery waste. However, as electric vehicles (EV) become more prevalent, they are ready to become the most important source of this waste. China has emerged as the biggest contributor to the EV battery waste in the electric vehicle market. To address this challenge, China has established the world’s highest capability for battery recycling.
At the forefront of this initiative, China’s largest lithium ion battery recycling company is Brunp. In 2020, Brunp announced a sufficient investment of $ 178 million for a new plant in Hunan province, claiming a recycling capacity of over 100,000 tonnes per year.
As a subsidiary of the leading battery manufacturer CATL, BRUNP benefits from integrated economics, making its operations more efficient than independent recycles. This coordination highlights the ability of a circular economy, which is recognized as an important strategy for sustainable development. Co-identify with raw material suppliers, as seen with Brunp and Catal, optimize the battery recycling processes.
Globally, about 280,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste is generated annually, with more than 70% of portable electronics. However, estimates indicate that by 2030, EVS will cross the portable electronics as the major source of battery waste. Battery packs and cells have increased recycling costs combined with complications of lack of standardization in cells, storage, transportation, and end-off-life (EOL) battery handling and reduced the incentive for recycling initiatives.
Outside China, various pilot-scales and protesting recycling processes are going on, with a processing of 5,000–7,000 tonnes annually from minor operations to semi-production models. In particular, even small plants can achieve financial viability, processing as 170 tons per year when using hydro-mechanical methods, contingency on a high cobalt content and favorable market prices.
The complex design of lithium-ion batteries distinguishes them from the lead-acid battery. Many small cells are assembled in the module in an EV battery pack, with hundreds or thousands of these cells make full batteries. These cells need to be carefully removed to eliminate the battery, which is a labor-intensive process with electric shock and fire risk.
The variance in battery design between manufacturers complicates recycling. Many current recycling approaches begin with crushing-a approach borrowed from the limid-acid battery recycling. However, this method is less environmentally friendly, as it results in an increase in energy consumption and more supportive processing chemicals.
In India, the collection of lithium-ion waste batteries from electric vehicles from electric vehicles has reached 2,570.26 MT in the last three years, according to Union Minister of State for Environmental Kirti Vardhan Singh. Despite this, he did not disclose the total amount of lithium-ion waste produced from EVS, making the collected amount negligible relative to India’s recycling capacity.
Major recycling such as Attero Recycling, Lohum Cleantech, Batx Energies, Gravita India Ltd., Recyclekar, Exigo Recycling, and Eco Recycling Limited are struggling for source waste batteries. Some recycles have expressed concern about the authenticity of the reported collection data, suggesting that authorized agencies may issue misleading certificates for waste battery collection to suit batteries waste management rules.
The complexity of the availability of waste batteries is more complex than the reuse of EOL EV battery. Manufacturers recommend consumers that they do not reduce their batteries by 20% capacity, which extend their operational lifespan to 8–12 years, based on charging habits. Even at the end of this period, the battery can still serve as power banks at low capacity, often run up to 20 years for energy storage applications.
While this re -use is economically profitable, this is an additional challenge for battery recycling programs. Therefore, installing a standardized process to assess battery health is important to determine when the battery should be considered waste. This standardized battery design is required, especially since many EV manufacturers use various battery connectors.
In summary, it is necessary to balance the availability of waste battery and the ability of recycling at the national level, especially in the context of ups and downs in the global market. By resolving these challenges through standardization and better infrastructure, the infection in a permanent circular economy for lithium-ion batteries can be accelerated.
(The author is the former CMD of Scooters India Limited; expressed views are individual)
