BATTERY RECYCLING - How a circular economy is part of a thriving EV sector

With growing demand for EVs, must also come a steady battery recycling ecosystem. India's rapidly growing EV market urgently requires a stabilizing factor to address its future energy demands. This involves not only ramping up the production of lithium-ion battery cells but also ensuring sustainable solutions to meet these needs effectively.

As several EV battery gigafactories are being established, it is crucial to develop a strong battery recycling ecosystem, as EV batteries are poised to become the largest source of battery waste. Globally, recycling EV batteries has become imperative for numerous reasons. To begin with, mining critical battery materials such as lithium carbonate, cobalt, and nickel is highly carbon-intensive and demands significant water resources. This has contributed to the depletion of water reserves in the "lithium triangle," comprising Bolivia, Chile, and Argentinaâ€"home to the world's largest lithium deposits. The brine evaporation method used in lithium extraction, also makes it particularly
water-intensive, requiring 2 million litres of water for every tonne of lithium extracted.

Comprehensive legislative measures to promote battery recycling are beginning to take shape. In early 2023, the United States introduced the Inflation Reduction Act, which classifies all batteries recycled within the country as American-made, regardless of their origin. This makes them eligible for the same incentives as domestically manufactured batteries. Similarly, India updated its Battery Waste Management Rules in 2022, requiring OEMs to partner with government-approved recyclers. These recyclers issue certificates ensuring OEMs are accountable for their battery waste. Through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, battery pack manufacturers are now held responsible for managing their battery waste.

EV batteries depend on essential raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Adopting a circular approach by recycling used batteries helps recover these materials, decreasing reliance on mining and mitigating supply chain challenges. Circular principles promote designing EV components with durability, reuse, and easy disassembly in mind, reducing waste throughout production and disposal processes. But that's just one of many ways a circular economy is beneficial to the EV sector.

Waste Management

Recycling and repurposing EV batteries prevent hazardous waste accumulation. For instance, used batteries can be refurbished for secondary applications like energy storage systems. In addition to that, circular economy models emphasize refurbishing and reusing components such as motors, controllers, and other electronic systems, helping to reduce waste.

There's also the matter of crucial energy and emission savings. A circular economy prioritizes the use of renewable energy in manufacturing and recycling, further lowering the carbon footprint of the EV sector. Recycling materials minimizes the energy-intensive mining and refining processes, leading to a significant reduction in emissions compared to sourcing raw materials. Recycling also comes with economic benefits. Establishing regional recycling systems not only creates local jobs but also reduces reliance on unstable global supply chains for raw materials. Above all else, recycling remains crucial to a country's own raw material security as it helps immunise a country's own EV market from geopolitical tensions and volatile price fluctuations of raw materials.

Recycling does present some challenges. For starters, recycling can often cost more than obtaining virgin materials because of the labour-intensive processes, high energy requirements, and transportation expenses involved. Recycling policies and regulations vary significantly across countries, leading to inconsistencies in practices. Then there's the fact that battery technology is changing rapidly and these chemistries will

require entirely new recycling processes. At present many recycling companies are fledgeling, and their extraction processes aren't as effective as they should be. At present, most recyclers are able to extract about 70 % of reusable lithium. Lastly, battery recycling depends entirely on battery waste, which comes from batteries at the end of their life cycle. As India's EV ecosystem is still in its nascent stage, there presently isn't enough battery waste to have a robust recycling apparatus thriving upon it.

New applications

Used EV batteries can be repurposed to power homes, renewable energy grids, and commercial storage systems. Circularity supports business models such as battery leasing, where manufacturers maintain ownership, ensuring materials are returned for recycling or reuse.

Finally, it must be emphatically stated that circular economy principles advocate for designing EVs and components with longer lifespans, facilitating easier repairs, upgrades, or recycling. This approach extends the vehicles' useful life, reduces the need for frequent replacements, and supports sustainability. A booming, long-term EV model cannot exist without extensive measures being put in place for an equally robust recycling apparatus.

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