Following the recent India Battery Manufacturing and Supply Chain Summit 2024, the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) has launched the India Reuse and Recycling Council (IRRC). This initiative aims to foster a sustainable ecosystem for battery recycling and second-life applications within India.
The primary objective of the council is to assess opportunities and challenges and devise a roadmap for establishing a sustainable framework for battery recycling and second-life applications. Mr. Debi Prasad Dash, Executive Director of IESA and Secretary of IRRC, highlighted that the council will collaborate closely with policymakers, academia, research institutions, and industry players across the battery value chain. Activities under IRRC will include market assessments, techno-commercial analyses, policy and regulatory evaluations, business model assessments, and competition analyses.
Furthermore, IRRC’s scope extends globally, as it seeks to promote international partnerships and facilitate technology transfer. The key focus areas of IRRC include:
- Establishing efficient mechanisms for battery collection, second-life applications, and recycling.
- Promoting domestic technology development for battery recycling and material processing.
- Advocating for policy and regulatory frameworks to incentivize sustainable practices in second-life applications and recycling.
- Emphasizing circularity principles, such as designing batteries for recyclability and incorporating recycled materials into new cells.
- Collaborating with global organizations to share best practices and enhance battery recycling standards.
- Supporting research and innovation in battery recycling technologies through R&D initiatives.
- Promoting skill development and capacity-building programs in the battery recycling sector.
Under IRRC, IESA will collaborate with member companies like Exigo Recycling, LICO Materials, Rubamin, BatX Energies, Nile Li-Cycle, Lohum, Excel Industries, ACE Green Recycling, Nunam, and others. The council will engage actively with governmental bodies such as NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). IESA invites all stakeholders to participate in the council and contribute to advancing the industry.
Commenting on the growth prospects of the Indian Li-ion battery recycling industry, ALN Rao, CEO of Exigo Recycling, expressed optimism about India becoming a global hub for battery-grade materials supply in the future. Gaurav Dolwani, Founder and CEO of LICO Materials, emphasized their commitment to sustainability through strategic integration of critical material recovery, aiming to support the circular economy in the electric vehicle industry
