BatX Energies (BatX), an India-based sustainable and circular Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery recycling company, has inaugurated its critical minerals extraction project (HUB-1) in Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh. The facility aims to extract high-purity lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese from used Li-ion batteries to address the resource demands of India’s growing electric vehicle market.

This facility builds on BatX’s black mass production unit, established in 2022 in the same region. The company has scaled its operations to a commercial level after a 21-month industrial pilot in 2023.

BatX said the project has integrated an advanced hydrometallurgical process, which was developed in-house to recycle all types of Li-ion battery waste, including rejects from upcoming gigafactories.

The company claims its hydrometallurgical process produces materials suitable for specialty applications and Li-ion cell manufacturing. It complies with the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 established by the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF).

BatX claims its facility operates with zero emissions and zero waste to achieve low energy consumption. The project aims to reduce costs by converting black mass into critical metals locally and make battery recycling more sustainable and economically viable across the supply chain.

Utkarsh Singh, BatX Energies CEO and Co-Founder, said the company aims to reduce import dependency and create a circular economy for critical materials by recycling old batteries.

BatX said it also aims to address the challenge of sourcing critical battery materials from outside China.

In December 2023, BatX secured $5 million in pre-series A Funding. The funds were utilized for market expansion and scaling of the company’s recycling operations across India. Zephyr Peacock led the funding along with Lets Venture and existing investors JITO Angel Network and Family offices of Mankind Pharma, Excel Industries, BluSmart, etc.

In June 2022, BatX raised $1.6 million in a seed funding round led by JITO Angel Network. The round saw participation from existing investors such as Rohit Chanana of Sarcha Advisors and Anmol Jaggi from BluSmart Electric. Mankind Pharma’s Kamaljyot Investments and Haldiram’s Family Offices also participated in this round.