NEW DELHI: In a move that will boost circularity and reduce the country’s import bill for critical mineral resources, the Technology Development Board (TDB) of science & technology ministry has entered into an agreement with a private entity for setting up a commercial plant for recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and e-waste using indigenous technology in Uttarakhand.A significant 95% of LIBs currently end up in landfills while only 5% undergo recycling and reused even as the recycling market size of lithium-ion batteries is projected to reach nearly $15 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 21.6%. The market size was $ 3.8 billion in 2021.
Disposal of LIBs through landfilling and incineration poses serious environmental and health safety concerns. Efficient recycling of LIBs will, therefore, not only serve as a vital source of secondary raw materials for cell manufacturing within the country but also help in preventing health hazards.
Similarly, e-waste is also a big challenge as nearly 78% of such waste in the country is not even collected, leaving rich sources of extremely high value secondary raw materials including gold, silver, copper and many rare earth elements in dump yards or landfills. India is currently the third largest e-waste generator in the world.
Backed by TDB that signed the agreement with Remine India Private Limited last week, the recycling plant will be set up at Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. “Through the agreement, TDB has pledged a financial assistance of Rs 7.5 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 15 crore, marking a significant stride towards sustainable development and environmental stewardship,” said an official statement. Speaking about the agreement, Rajesh Kumar Pathak, TDB’s secretary said that the board’s support would help to engage informal recyclers to connect with formal recyclers thereby contributing towards a circular economy. The indigenous technology, used to set up the recycling plant, is developed by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET).
Disposal of LIBs through landfilling and incineration poses serious environmental and health safety concerns. Efficient recycling of LIBs will, therefore, not only serve as a vital source of secondary raw materials for cell manufacturing within the country but also help in preventing health hazards.
Similarly, e-waste is also a big challenge as nearly 78% of such waste in the country is not even collected, leaving rich sources of extremely high value secondary raw materials including gold, silver, copper and many rare earth elements in dump yards or landfills. India is currently the third largest e-waste generator in the world.
Backed by TDB that signed the agreement with Remine India Private Limited last week, the recycling plant will be set up at Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. “Through the agreement, TDB has pledged a financial assistance of Rs 7.5 crore out of the total project cost of Rs 15 crore, marking a significant stride towards sustainable development and environmental stewardship,” said an official statement. Speaking about the agreement, Rajesh Kumar Pathak, TDB’s secretary said that the board’s support would help to engage informal recyclers to connect with formal recyclers thereby contributing towards a circular economy. The indigenous technology, used to set up the recycling plant, is developed by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET).