Traditionally, the electronics sector has generated the best quantity of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery waste. Nonetheless, as electrical autos (EVs) change into extra prevalent, they’re poised to change into essentially the most important supply of this waste. China, a pacesetter within the electrical car market, has emerged as the biggest contributor to EV battery waste. To deal with this problem, China has established the world’s highest capability for battery recycling.
On the forefront of this initiative is BRUNP, China’s largest lithium-ion battery recycling firm. In 2020, BRUNP introduced a considerable funding of $178 million for a brand new plant in Hunan province, boasting a recycling capability exceeding 100,000 tons per 12 months.
As a subsidiary of the distinguished battery producer CATL, BRUNP advantages from built-in economics, making its operations extra environment friendly in comparison with impartial recyclers. This synergy highlights the potential of a round economic system, acknowledged as a pivotal technique for sustainable growth. Co-locating recyclers with uncooked materials suppliers, as seen with BRUNP and CATL, optimizes battery recycling processes.
Globally, roughly 280,000 tons of lithium-ion battery waste is generated yearly, with over 70% originating from transportable electronics. Nonetheless, projections point out that by 2030, EVs will surpass transportable electronics because the main supply of battery waste. An absence of standardization in battery packs and cells, mixed with the complexities of storage, transportation, and dealing with of end-of-life (EoL) batteries, have pushed up recycling prices and decreased the incentives for recycling initiatives.
Outdoors of China, varied pilot-scale and demonstrator recycling processes are underway, with capabilities starting from modest operations to semi-production fashions processing 5,000–7,000 tons yearly. Notably, even small vegetation can obtain monetary viability, processing as little as 170 tons per 12 months when using hydro-mechanical strategies, contingent upon a excessive cobalt content material and favorable market costs.
The intricate design of lithium-ion batteries differentiates them from lead-acid batteries. An EV battery pack consists of quite a few small cells assembled into modules, with a whole lot or 1000’s of those cells forming the whole battery. Dismantling the battery requires cautious particular person elimination of those cells, which is a labor-intensive course of fraught with the chance of electrical shock and hearth.
The variance in battery designs amongst producers complicates recycling. Many present recycling approaches start with crushing—an method borrowed from lead-acid battery recycling. Nonetheless, this technique is much less eco-friendly, because it ends in elevated power consumption and extra ancillary processing chemical substances.
In India, the gathering of lithium-ion waste batteries from electrical autos has reportedly reached 2,570.26 metric tons over the previous three years, in accordance with the Union Minister of State for Surroundings, Kirti Vardhan Singh. Regardless of this, he didn’t disclose the entire quantity of lithium-ion waste produced from EVs, making the collected quantity seem insignificant relative to India’s recycling capability.
Main recyclers comparable to Attero Recycling, Lohum Cleantech, BatX Energies, Gravita India Ltd., RecycleKaro, Exigo Recycling, and Eco Recycling Restricted are struggling to supply waste batteries for recycling. Some recyclers have raised considerations in regards to the authenticity of reported assortment figures, suggesting that approved companies could situation deceptive certificates for waste battery assortment according to battery waste administration rules.
The complexity of waste battery availability is additional compounded by the reuse of EoL EV batteries. Producers advise customers to not discharge their batteries beneath 20% capability, extending their operational lifespan to eight–12 years, relying on charging habits. Even on the finish of this era, batteries should still function energy banks at a decreased capability, usually lasting as much as 20 years for power storage purposes.
Whereas this reuse is economically advantageous, it poses an extra problem for battery recycling applications. Subsequently, establishing a standardized course of for assessing battery well being is vital to find out when a battery must be deemed waste. This necessitates standardized battery designs, notably since many EV producers make the most of completely different battery connectors.
In abstract, placing a steadiness between the supply of waste batteries and the capability for recycling at a nationwide stage is crucial, particularly within the context of worldwide market fluctuations. By addressing these challenges by way of standardization and improved infrastructure, the transition to a sustainable round economic system for lithium-ion batteries could be accelerated.
(The writer is former CMD of Scooters India Ltd; Views expressed are private)
