Powering the Future Sustainably: How LOHUM Is Leading the Charge in Li-ion Battery Recycling and Circular Economy

In a world accelerating towards electrified mobility and sustainable energy solutions, the need for secure, circular, and environmentally responsible material systems has never been greater. Lithium-ion batteries are not only central to electric vehicles (EVs) and portable electronics but also to grid-scale renewable energy storage systems that support global decarbonization efforts. However, this green revolution also brings with it an urgent challenge—managing the vast flow of end-of-life batteries and reclaiming the valuable materials within.

At LOHUM, we believe sustainability doesn’t end at clean energy adoption—it continues through how we manage our resources after their first use. As one of the only integrated battery recycling and raw material supply chain companies in India, LOHUM is innovating the future of energy storage with its vertically integrated platform that enables efficient reuse, repurposing, and recycling of lithium-ion batteries.

The Growing Challenge

By 2030, over 2 million metric tonnes of lithium-ion batteries are expected to be retired annually, equivalent to more than half a million EVs reaching the end of their battery life each year. Despite EVs still occupying a relatively small share of the vehicle market, the volume of battery retirements is growing rapidly.

This shift creates both a massive challenge and a unique opportunity: we must address the environmental risks of improper disposal, and also realize the potential of creating a domestic, sustainable supply chain through recovery of critical minerals—such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel—that currently come from geopolitically sensitive and environmentally intensive mining operations.

At LOHUM, our mission is to “Power the World Sustainably.” That means building a closed-loop system where these materials are not lost but continually reused to fuel new technologies and products, reducing dependence on virgin resources and minimizing the carbon footprint of battery manufacturing.

Why Battery Recycling Matters

Current battery recycling technologies face several hurdles—technological, logistical, and economic. Most commercial recycling facilities today use pyrometallurgical (smelting) processes that consume large amounts of energy (up to 1500°C) and result in the loss of critical materials like lithium and aluminum into slag. They also emit harmful fluorine gases, requiring expensive treatment facilities.

In contrast, LOHUM’s proprietary hydrometallurgical process offers a cleaner, lower-emission, and higher-yield alternative. Our process recovers up to 95% of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, ensuring these critical minerals can be reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle.

Furthermore, direct recycling—a promising approach where the battery cathode’s crystal structure is preserved and refunctionalized—can potentially outperform batteries made with virgin materials. Recent research indicates that such cathodes exhibit higher porosity, faster charging, and longer life, making direct recycling not just an environmentally better choice, but a commercially superior one.

The Second-Life Advantage

Not all EV batteries at the end of their vehicular life are ready for recycling. Many retain up to 80% of their capacity, making them ideal candidates for second-life applications in stationary storage. At LOHUM, we repurpose such batteries into stationary energy storage systems for solar power, rural electrification, and industrial backup.

By extending the useful life of a battery, we reduce the demand for new battery production while also making EV adoption more affordable through residual value recovery. This “reuse before recycle” strategy forms a core tenet of LOHUM’s circular model.

Building the Infrastructure and Policy Backbone

To truly scale battery recycling, infrastructure and regulation must evolve in parallel. LOHUM strongly supports the advancement of EPR for Li-ion battery waste management (Extended Producer Responsibility), a regulatory framework that makes producers accountable for the collection, recycling, and disposal of their products.

EPR mandates not only encourage compliance with environmental standards but also open avenues for collaboration across OEMs, recyclers, and policy makers. In states like California, steps are already being taken to enforce 100% recycling or reuse of EV batteries. India’s recent amendments to its battery waste management rules are a positive sign and underline the importance of data sharing, labeling standards, and investments in reverse logistics.

At LOHUM, we partner with EV manufacturers, battery producers, and government agencies to build a robust ecosystem that enables seamless collection, diagnostics, and repurposing of batteries. Our smart traceability systems and diagnostic tools allow for safe battery handling and optimized reuse pathways—whether it’s second-life storage or material recovery.

Critical Minerals: The Resource of the Future

The global push for electrification is expected to multiply the demand for critical minerals manyfold. Today, more than 60% of the world’s cobalt supply originates from the Democratic Republic of Congo—a region rife with conflict and environmental violations. Similar concerns arise with lithium extraction in Latin America and nickel mining in Southeast Asia.

Recycling lithium-ion batteries can reduce our dependence on virgin mineral extraction, decarbonize the battery supply chain, and offer price stability in a market known for extreme volatility—where lithium and cobalt prices have swung by as much as 300% in a single year.

LOHUM’s integrated approach ensures that recovered materials can re-enter battery production without being downgraded in quality, closing the loop on resource consumption and fostering economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

The Road Ahead

According to the Department of Energy, the global battery market is poised to grow 10-fold in the next decade, with lithium-ion batteries playing a pivotal role in energy and mobility transitions. But electrification without circularity is not sustainability—it’s a deferred crisis.

At LOHUM, we are scaling our operations to match this future. With innovative R&D, robust partnerships, and scalable infrastructure, we’re not just managing battery waste—we’re transforming it into an opportunity.

Our vision remains clear: to decarbonize the battery lifecycle, empower energy independence, and pave the way for a sustainable, circular economy powered by critical minerals—not wasted ones.

Visit us at: Recycling of EV batteries in India

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