Powering the Circular Battery Economy: How LOHUM Is Driving Sustainable Innovation in Lithium-Ion Battery Lifecycles

The global transition to electric mobility and renewable energy is gaining unstoppable momentum. From scooters and passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks, school buses, and even aircraft, electrification is rapidly becoming the new standard. At the heart of this transformation lies a small but powerful enabler—lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). And while the world celebrates the falling costs and rising performance of these energy storage marvels, another question grows louder: What happens to these batteries at the end of their life?

At LOHUM, we believe that the future of energy doesn’t stop at usage—it thrives on reuse. As the only integrated player in South Asia operating across lithium-ion battery reuse, material recovery, and recycling, LOHUM is committed to building a circular battery economy—where nothing goes to waste, and every element gets a second life.

The Coming Tsunami of Battery Waste

According to industry forecasts, by 2030, over 2 million metric tonnes of lithium-ion batteries are expected to be retired globally every year, as electric vehicles (EVs) reach their end-of-life stages. That equates to more than half a million EVs annually being decommissioned—a number that will continue to climb as adoption surges.

While traditional consumer electronic waste often finds its way to landfills, LIBs are different. They contain valuable and finite minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel—each essential for making new battery cells. In fact, raw materials can account for up to 50% of a battery’s total cost. The volatility in global metal markets—where prices of lithium and cobalt can swing by over 300% in a single year—further underscores the need for localized, sustainable sourcing alternatives.

This is where LOHUM is pioneering a solution—through advanced battery recycling and lithium-ion battery second-life applications.

Second-Life: A Bridge Between Use and Reuse

Electric vehicle batteries don’t suddenly “die” at end-of-life; they just become less suitable for vehicular use, often retaining 70–80% of their original capacity. That leftover capacity can still be extremely useful in second-life applications like stationary energy storage, off-grid solar backup, and peak load shaving.

At LOHUM, we are already deploying second-life energy storage systems that provide clean power to communities and businesses while reducing the environmental and material costs of battery manufacturing. These reused battery systems can operate effectively for 6 to 10 additional years, providing immense value with minimal additional environmental impact.

By leveraging our proprietary grading and repurposing technologies, LOHUM is turning what was once considered "waste" into high-performance, affordable battery systems, making energy storage more accessible and circular than ever before.

Recycling for the Future: Closing the Materials Loop

Yet even second-life applications have their limits. Eventually, all batteries must be dismantled and recycled. The current industry standards are dominated by pyrometallurgical methods—high-temperature smelting processes that recover only a fraction of battery materials, often losing lithium and aluminum to slag.

LOHUM is investing in advanced hydrometallurgical and direct recycling methods that offer higher recovery rates, lower energy consumption, and minimal emissions. For instance, in direct recycling, our processes preserve the valuable cathode compound, allowing it to be “re-lithiated” and reused without the need for full chemical breakdown. This approach has been shown to yield recycled cathodes that charge faster and last longer than newly manufactured ones—a breakthrough for both performance and sustainability.

This is not just innovation—it’s smart economics. Studies reveal that recycled cathodes, when engineered correctly, can match or even outperform those made from virgin materials. In a market where the battery supply chain is worth nearly a trillion dollars, creating a domestic, circular source of battery-grade materials will be key to both resilience and growth.

Driving Policy with Responsibility

Sustainability in the battery sector isn’t just about technology—it’s also about regulation. EPR for Li-ion battery waste management (Extended Producer Responsibility) is emerging as a critical policy lever in India and globally. These regulations mandate that producers take responsibility for the collection, reuse, and recycling of batteries sold into the market.

LOHUM is proactively aligning with these regulations—not just to remain compliant, but to lead. By creating a seamless end-to-end solution for battery take-back, reuse, and material recovery, we enable automotive and electronics manufacturers to meet their EPR goals while advancing their environmental and social governance (ESG) agendas.

In India, where EV sales have more than doubled in the last two years, and government targets are pushing for aggressive electrification, EPR for Li-ion battery waste management will be a cornerstone of responsible growth. LOHUM is already working closely with ecosystem partners to develop scalable, traceable, and verifiable battery recovery solutions.

A Global Outlook, Made in India

Today, most of the world’s LIB recycling and material recovery infrastructure is concentrated in countries like China. This creates global dependencies that are vulnerable to geopolitical shifts and logistical bottlenecks. At LOHUM, we are building India’s first globally scalable, circular battery economy—right here at home.

With state-of-the-art facilities, industry-leading partnerships, and a commitment to R&D, LOHUM is not only addressing India’s needs but also exporting sustainable battery materials to global markets. Our mission is to reduce battery material costs, improve environmental outcomes, and build local resilience into the clean energy supply chain.

LOHUM: Reimagine. Reuse. Recycle.

We believe that sustainable energy should not come at the cost of environmental degradation or material exploitation. Through innovation in lithium-ion battery second-life applications, cutting-edge recycling technologies, and leadership in EPR for Li-ion battery waste management, LOHUM is creating a world where batteries live twice and materials live forever.

The battery revolution is not just about what powers our vehicles—it’s about what powers our planet’s future. LOHUM is proud to be leading the charge.

Visit us at: Li-ion battery waste management

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