Building a Circular Future: How LOHUM is Shaping the Next Era of Battery Sustainability

As the world accelerates towards electrification and a low-carbon future, the demand for lithium-ion batteries is surging at an unprecedented pace. Whether it’s electric vehicles, smartphones, or energy storage systems supporting renewables, lithium-ion batteries form the backbone of our clean energy ambitions. But with rising demand comes pressing questions—where will we source the critical materials needed to power this transformation sustainably? How can we ensure that our energy transition doesn’t simply shift environmental and social costs from one place to another?

At LOHUM, we are not just answering these questions—we are actively redefining the lifecycle of lithium-ion batteries. As India’s first integrated lithium-ion battery lifecycle management company, LOHUM is creating a circular economy around clean & green Li-ion battery materials, helping the world move away from extractive supply chains and towards sustainable, localized value creation.

The Challenge: Rising Demand, Scarce Resources

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the battery market is projected to grow tenfold in the next decade. Yet, all of the world’s current mining operations cannot extract enough lithium, cobalt, or nickel to meet the projected demand. New mines take years to establish and come with significant environmental and social concerns—depleting water resources, displacing communities, and causing irreversible ecosystem damage.

Compounding the issue is the volatility of critical mineral prices. For instance, cobalt, nickel, and lithium—three key ingredients in cathode materials—have experienced price swings as high as 300% in a single year, despite a 90% drop in overall EV battery costs over the past decade. This level of unpredictability presents risks not just to manufacturers, but to the entire EV value chain.

That’s where LOHUM’s innovative model of reuse, recycling, and responsible manufacturing comes in.

From Waste to Wealth: The Future is Circular

Recycling lithium-ion batteries is no longer a “nice to have”—it is a strategic necessity. Research shows that up to 50% of a battery’s cost comes from the minerals inside it. By recovering and reusing these materials, we can dramatically reduce production costs, stabilize supply chains, and minimize environmental degradation.

At LOHUM, we’ve engineered advanced hydrometallurgical and direct recycling technologies to recover high-purity cathode materials while preserving their chemical integrity. Unlike traditional pyrometallurgical approaches—which are energy-intensive and generate toxic emissions—our clean processes avoid costly refining and resynthesis stages.

Take direct cathode recycling, for example. Instead of breaking down battery materials into their base elements and rebuilding them, we preserve the cathode compound and simply “re-lithiate” it. This not only retains its engineered structure and performance but also reduces the environmental footprint significantly—enabling us to deliver clean & green Li-ion battery materials that are as effective as virgin compounds, if not better.

Performance Meets Sustainability

Recent studies have demonstrated that cathodes recovered using direct recycling can actually outperform new ones. Recycled cathode particles tend to be more porous, allowing them to absorb lithium ions more efficiently, charge faster, and resist cracking over time—a common cause of battery degradation.

This innovation is critical to the evolution of battery for e-scooter applications, where performance, safety, and affordability must be balanced. At LOHUM, we manufacture next-generation batteries specifically designed for 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler EVs, using these high-quality recycled materials. Our batteries offer longer cycle life, enhanced safety, and cost-competitiveness, helping OEMs and fleet operators scale faster while staying green.

The Global Impact: Less Mining, More Justice

Beyond environmental benefits, recycling offers tangible socio-economic advantages. Today, over 60% of the world’s cobalt supply originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region plagued by conflict, child labor, and environmental abuse. Reducing our dependency on virgin cobalt not only improves supply chain resilience but also advances human rights and ethical sourcing.

At LOHUM, we believe a truly clean energy transition must also be a just transition. By localizing the supply of critical materials through battery recycling, we reduce emissions, empower communities, and generate green jobs—all while conserving natural resources.

Building a Domestic Battery Ecosystem

India is on the cusp of becoming a global hub for battery manufacturing. But to achieve this, we need more than just gigafactories—we need a circular supply chain that can scale sustainably. That’s why LOHUM is investing heavily in infrastructure, technology, and R&D to ensure every lithium-ion battery that comes to end-of-life is recovered, recycled, and reused.

Our integrated approach includes battery diagnostics, second-life repurposing, and material recovery—all within a closed-loop system that prioritizes safety, transparency, and environmental stewardship. By partnering with EV makers, energy storage companies, and policymakers, LOHUM is catalyzing a future where clean & green Li-ion battery materials are not the exception but the norm.

Policy Matters

For this ecosystem to thrive, we must align industrial innovation with forward-thinking regulation. California has already set the benchmark by proposing legislation that mandates 100% of EV batteries be recycled or reused. India, too, is moving in the right direction with its Battery Waste Management Rules and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes.

LOHUM actively supports policies that encourage extended producer responsibility, standardized labelling, and investment in recycling infrastructure. We envision a future where every battery for e-scooter and electric vehicle contributes to a circular, net-zero economy.

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In Conclusion

The transition to electric mobility is inevitable—but how we power that transition matters. At LOHUM, we are leading the charge toward a cleaner, greener, and more equitable battery ecosystem. By innovating at the intersection of materials science, sustainability, and circular economy, we are ensuring that the batteries of tomorrow are not just high-performing, but also responsible.

Visit us at: lithium-ion battery second-life applications