Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant Setup

India’s EV and electronics boom has created a parallel surge in spent lithium-ion batteries — from mobile phones and laptops to two-wheelers, cars, and energy storage systems. Handling these safely isn’t optional: Battery Waste Management Rules (2022) and EPR obligations now require producers/importers to ensure collection and environmentally sound recycling.

At Cargo People, powered by our sustainability arm Green Permits, we help you plan, license, commission, and operate a lithium-ion battery recycling plant that meets safety standards, achieves EPR targets, and delivers strong unit economics.

Why Li-ion Battery Recycling is a Timely Opportunity

• Regulatory pull: Strict EPR compliance for EV/OEMs, cell importers, and electronics brands means steady feedstock for approved recyclers.
• High-value recovery: Cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese, copper, and aluminum can be recovered and sold into cathode/precursor and metals markets.
• ESG advantage: Recycled material reduces mining pressure and improves your customers’ sustainability metrics.
• Growing supply: EV adoption, grid storage, and consumer electronics ensure long-term raw material availability.

What We Do (End-to-End)

Through Green Permits, we offer a complete pathway from idea to operation:

1) Feasibility, Strategy & Business Planning

• Feedstock mapping (consumer, ESS, and EV streams), collection channel design.
• Technology fit: hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, or direct/closed-loop approaches (or hybrid).
• Capacity planning, capex/opex modeling, sensitivity analysis, and ROI.
• Site selection, utility load assessment, HAZMAT zoning, and HSE baselines.

2) Licensing & Compliance

• CPCB/SPCB authorizations, environmental consents, and hazardous waste handling permissions.
• EPR onboarding and reporting frameworks for your brand/OEM partners.
• Guidance on transport of dangerous goods (DG) and storage norms for spent cells.
• Support for applicable BIS/quality and safety documentation.

3) Technology & Equipment

• Process Flow Diagrams (PFD) and P&IDs for your chosen route.
• Vendor shortlisting for: discharge/neutralization, dismantling, shredding, black-mass production, leaching/solvent extraction/precipitation, filtration, drying, refining.
• Balance-of-plant: ventilation, ATEX/Ex-proof gear, fire suppression, off-gas scrubbers, effluent treatment.
• International imports logistics handled by Cargo People (freight, customs, last-mile).

4) EHS & Operations Readiness

• Hazard studies (HAZOP/What-If), SOPs for thermal runaway risks, battery sorting & SOC checks.
• Fire safety systems (inerting, detection, suppression) and spill/acid handling playbooks.
• Workforce training: PPE, lock-out/tag-out, confined-space, chemical handling.
• Black-mass quality control, reagent optimization, and yield improvement.

5) Launch, Partnerships & Scale

• Pilot runs, performance testing, mass-balance and yield validation.
• Commercial tie-ups with PROs, OEMs, fleets, and e-commerce/e-waste networks for steady feedstock.
• Ongoing compliance reports (EPR, CPCB formats), audits, and capacity expansions.

Technologies in Plain Language (So You Can Choose Wisely)

• Discharge & dismantling: Safe energy neutralization, removal of packs/modules/cells, casing separation.
• Mechanical processing: Shredding and sieving to create black mass (active material mix) plus copper/aluminum foils and plastics.
• Hydrometallurgy (wet chemistry): Leaching and selective extraction to recover Li, Co, Ni, Mn as salts/precursors. High purity, modular, and well-suited for the Indian context.
• Pyrometallurgy (thermal): Smelting yields metal alloy and slag; robust to feed variability but energy-intensive. Often combined with hydromet for refining.
• Direct recycling: Preserves cathode structure (where feasible) to reduce chemicals/energy; promising for specific chemistries with tight QC.

We’ll match your feed mix (NMC/LFP/NCA/LCO/LTO), budget, energy costs, and purity targets with the right process so your plant is both compliant and profitable.

Why Choose Cargo People + Green Permits

• Two-in-one partner: Compliance & plant consulting (Green Permits) plus import logistics, customs, and domestic distribution (Cargo People).
• Pan-India delivery: Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Mundra, Kolkata — with partner networks nationwide.
• Safety first: EHS frameworks built into plant design, not bolted on later.
• Bank-friendly dossiers: Investor-grade feasibility, risk registers, and ESG narratives to support funding.
• Market access: Introductions to PROs, OEMs, fleets, and aggregator networks for feedstock security.

What Your Plant Can Produce (and Sell)

• Black mass (for further refining).
• Cathode salts/precursors (e.g., Li₂CO₃/LiOH, Ni/Co/Mn sulfates).
• Copper & aluminum from current collectors.
• Plastics & steel fractions (after cleaning and QC).

We help you align product specs with buyer requirements so you convert technical output into repeat commercial contracts.

Sample Build-Out Timeline (Indicative)

1. Weeks 1–6: Feasibility, tech route, site lock-in, regulatory roadmap.
2. Weeks 7–14: Detailed engineering, vendor L1/L2, compliance filings.
3. Weeks 15–26: Equipment fabrication/imports, civil & utilities, hiring & SOP drafts.
4. Weeks 27–34: Installation, EHS commissioning, trial runs.
5. Weeks 35–40: Performance testing, buyer qualification, commercial go-live.

(Actual timelines vary by state approvals, equipment lead times, and capacity.)

A Quick Success Story

A mobility startup aggregating 2-wheeler EV batteries struggled with safe storage, inconsistent yields, and missing paperwork.

• We redesigned storage and SOC-testing, added discharge bays, and set thermal-event protocols.
• Shifted them from a purely mechanical route to a hybrid mech + hydromet pilot, boosting cobalt/nickel recovery purity.
• Standardized EPR and CPCB reports; aligned black-mass specs to a local refiner’s needs.

Result: Higher yields, safer operations, and bankable offtake agreements within one quarter.

FAQs (Straight Answers)

Do I need approvals before I even start trials?

Yes. You’ll need CPCB/SPCB consents and hazardous waste permissions prior to commissioning, plus DG transport/storage compliance for spent cells.

Is LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) worth recycling?

Yes — despite lower cobalt/nickel value, LFP volumes are rising in 2-wheelers and ESS. Economics work with scale, low energy use, and lithium recovery; we’ll model it for you.

What about fire risk and thermal runaway?

We design discharge, thermal monitoring, inert atmospheres, and suppression into your plant, alongside robust SOPs and training.

Can I import equipment easily?

Yes — and Cargo People handles freight, customs, duty optimization, and first-mile installation logistics.

Who buys black mass or salts?

Refiners, precursor makers, and cathode manufacturers. We help qualify your product to their specs.

Our Step-by-Step Engagement

1. Discovery call: Goals, chemistries, tonnage, timelines, budget.
2. Feasibility & permits plan: Financials, site, EPR/CPCB/SPCB roadmap.
3. Engineering & vendors: PFD/P&IDs, equipment shortlist, contracts.
4. Build & train: Civil/utilities, install, EHS/SOPs, mock drills.
5. Pilot & ramp: Trial batches, yield tuning, buyer qualification, go-live.
6. Ongoing: Compliance reports, audits, optimization, capacity expansion.

What You’ll Avoid by Working with Us

• Approval delays due to incomplete filings.
• Unsafe layouts that raise insurance and compliance risk.
• Low yields from mismatched chemistries/processes.
• Logistics bottlenecks for incoming feedstock and outgoing products.
• Missed EPR targets for your OEM/brand partners.

And what you’ll gain: bankable plans, safer operations, better yields, steady feed, and real buyers.

Ready to Build Your Li-ion Recycling Plant?

Let’s map your capacity, chemistry mix, and budget — and design a plant that’s safe, compliant, and commercially sound.

Request a free consultation
Let’s make compliance simple and sustainable.

📞 +91 78350 06182  |  📧 wecare@greenpermits.in