- JMK Research has estimated a 1,000-million-dollar market for battery recycling in India by 2030.
- Companies like Mahindra Electric and Tata Chemicals have already joined the market for recycling Lithium-ion batteries
- Reckless disposal of batteries, a major contributor to the waste induced environmental hazard needs stricter measures to curb the ever-increasing waste
The still-rising pandemic and the unprecedented scale of global health concerns have not only put up a question to our preparedness in tackling existing matters of grave concern today but an oblique question to the collective negligence of the impending issues over graver concerns for tomorrow. Environmental degradation and deteriorating public health have necessitated steps with renewed alacrity on global warming through reduced carbon emissions, eco-friendly technology, and revamped models of infrastructure all over the world.
Waste induced environmental hazard, being one of such severe concerns of globalization and overpopulation, needs stricter measures to curb the ever-increasing waste. Reckless disposal of batteries is one such major contributor to the solid waste problem with severe effects. On World Cleanup Day, Machine Maker throws light on battery disposal, recycling, and the opportunity to turn recycling into an economical maneuver. World Clean-up Day is celebrated on 19th September, an annual global social action program aimed at combating the global solid waste problem, including the problem of marine debris.
One of the most-used causes of hazardous measures is transportation vehicles that run on fuel. Unfortunately, these vehicles have become a necessary evil in an overpopulated, travel-dependent world of enthusiastic job seekers and travelers, where distance is not a limitation but a destination.
It is Time to Stop Being Reluctant in Actions
Toxic and hazardous wastes from electronics act as sores to the already unwell state of our nature. The disposal techniques for these kinds of wastes are obsolete and unpragmatic. The process of insincere tackling of this issue has been going on for decades; the need to realize that it is incumbent on us to act is dire.
Recently, on World EV Day, a worldwide effort to spread awareness about electric vehicles and taking an oath for “the next vehicle to be electric” was made by various companies. EVs are an environmental expedient while also being cost-effective. One million electric vehicles were bought worldwide in 2017 alone. This may be a stepping stone towards a greener future but there is a toxic price to pay for these electric vehicles.
Since the electric vehicles run on lithium-ion batteries, like mobile phones, they are bound to lose their efficiency over a certain period of time and need to be replaced, rending the old battery a waste. This waste, as per the number of vehicles bought in 2017 alone, will turn into 2,50,000 tonnes of discarded battery which will need to be disposed of or recycled to avoid another crisis while trying to avoid deal with the current one. The problem lies in the process known as “thermal runaway”, in which the battery heats up due to a thermal reaction to the point of burning or even exploding. Due to this phenomenon, it will be disastrous for electric vehicle companies to leave discarded batteries unchecked. It is because of this danger that many international airports do not allow Lithium-ion batteries to be carried inside the aeroplanes.
The piles of used and discarded batteries are not a new sight. In pre-EV times, lead-acid batteries were still being used and thoughtlessly disposed of, proper disposal of batteries has been an errant nuisance for years. With the advent of EVs in the market, these piles will only reach newer heights. It is now our obligation to find and incorporate efficient methods of battery disposal to prevent more toxicity from seeping into the Earth.
A mature value chain for battery recycling is essential for long term sustainability. The value chain for recycling is developing along with the increase in volumes of EVs
Mahesh Babu
Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Electric
A Billion-Dollar Deal For 2022
In a recent estimation of future markets, JMK Research and Analytics, a Haryana-based consultancy and advisory firm, has established that the next five years will see an opportune moment for India to dive into the appropriate disposal as well as recycling of batteries. By 2022, the lithium-ion batteries being used today will have reached their energy limit, in which case, the market will be flooded with used batteries for recycling and repurposing. According to the estimate, there will be a 1-billion-dollar opportunity by 2030 in battery waste disposal and recycling.
Lead-acid batteries, being old players in the market, are mostly made up of recycled materials. However, the growth of disposal of lithium-ion batteries is met with quite a few challenges. Due to the variety in the making of lithium-ion batteries, there is a significant issue in disassembling them. The sealants and adhesives used in these batteries are strenuous; only skilled workers can be made to take these batteries apart. There are various parts of these parts like safety devices, etc. that need to be dealt with separately.
“You can’t have one recycling unit and put all the batteries inside and recycle it. Not possible”, explains Vimal Jeyaseelan, Executive Scientific Manager of Sustainable Green Technologies. Due to the unpredictability in the economics of recycling with fluctuating prices of raw materials and lack of EVs in the market, the uncertainty around recycled batteries and their life-spans are undeterminable at best. This creates less of an incentive for manufacturers to venture into this field.
National Electric Mobility Plan – The Government Initiatives
With the Government of India’s National Electric Mobility Plan 2020, which aims for the traffic of 6-7 million electric vehicles on Indian roads by this year alone and the installation of renewable energy of 175 GW by 2022, there is a wild notion of an incredible economic as well as environmental opportunity for India. This notion is being taken forward with the approximation that by 2030, the annual recycling would reach up to 22-23 GWh, resulting in a billion-dollar bonanza for the country. This possibility is expected to start taking shape by 2022 onwards when the existing Lithium-ion batteries will come to the end of their productivity. The precious raw materials extracted from these batteries can be used as raw materials for new manufacturing.
If we can move from natural mining to urban mining, I think a lot of these problems will be solved. We need not cut down forests to extract rare earth metals. Recycling of existing assets can give us enough, if not more, of these materials which can be used again for manufacturing
Amit Bhatt
Programme Director EV, WRI India
Taking the initiative by the government in stride, a few Indian companies have started to put up plans and establishments to put India on the bandwagon to a greener, more sustainable planet. To accelerate regional market growth, these companies are set to establish recycle bases in the country; with Japan and China already ahead in the field, it is now India’s chance to up the market play. While Tata Chemicals has launched lithium-ion battery recycling in Mumbai this August and has decided to reach the goal of recycling 500 tonnes of batteries in the near future. Mahindra Electric of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. has planned to start EV battery recycling by using the same method used in the recycling of old cell phone batteries with the use of solar energy. Raasi Solar has also planned to set up a 300 MW plant for the recycling and assembly of batteries as well as cell manufacturing.
Many small companies as well start-ups have also joined this race for recycling batteries. TES-AMM runs a Li-ion battery collection operation in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, where they collect the batteries and send them to Singapore to get recycled. Similarly, ZiptraX CleanTech, a start-up based in Delhi works on Life-Cycle Management of Lithium-ion Batteries. They collect, disassemble, recycle, and remake battery for secondary uses. They are also going to be building a pilot plant in Delhi NCR with an investment of 3.5 crores to catalyze the process. “The batteries used in EVs when they are at the end of their life cycles in automobiles find secondary application in energy storage. The batteries that need disposal can be recycled to recover the valuable rare earth metals in it”, explains Mr. Babu of Mahindra Electric.
Recycling of Batteries: Thoughts and Opinions
While the effort for bringing in more EVs this year has been received well, some do not find this idea quite so optimistic. New batteries generally take 5 years to get worn out. After that, it can be used for another 5 years in stationary objects like Inverters/ UPS, etc. as a secondary usage. It is only after ten years that it will be deemed fit for recycling. Since the current market does not have the required amount of EVs to produce a sufficient amount of batteries for a new sector to establish itself, this goal seems far-fetched. “If the EV push is aggressive and the uptake is high, altogether a new industry will arise”, comments Mr. Bhatt of WRI India. The extraction of rare metals from these batteries may also open doors to new trade options with foreign countries.
If you don’t sell as per the projection, the economy will change. Electric Vehicle growth in the market is directly proportional to the recycling economy in ten years
Vimal Jeyaseelan
Executive Scientific Manager, Sustainable Green Technologies
There Is Always a Silver Lining
Other small companies have also made their interests known and have already established themselves to recycle Li-ion batteries. The congruent efforts of manufacturing companies in an economical, as well as eco-friendly step towards a cleaner, less toxic environment, is a relief in the face of raging wildfires, endangered animals and rapidly increasing discoveries of unknown diseases.
It is the mark of improvement in a society that had refused to acknowledge the climate crisis until it hit them with, as of now, an unbeatable virus. There is a need for companies to step forward and take punitive actions against all activities that may be contributing to the current climate scenario. Not only is it imperative for the industry to actively participate in environmental healing but it is also their responsibility to be a helping hand in the global march towards a safer, cleaner, and a greener tomorrow. The initiative to prevent battery waste is a crucial step towards this goal.
