LICO to Recover Graphite from End-of-Life EV Batteries

LICO Materials has developed a process to recover graphite from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap. According to the company, it is the first company in India to recover graphite from used batteries and cell manufacturing scrap and supply it to Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM). The recovered graphite will be used as secondary feedstock for graphite anode materials.

Graphite accounts for around 20-30% of the weight of a lithium-ion battery and is a key material used in battery anodes. Currently, China accounts for more than 90% of global graphite refining, around 80% of mining and more than 90% of anode active material production. According to the International Energy Agency, China could account for around 80% of global battery-grade graphite supply by 2035.

India demand for graphite is expected to rise with the expansion of domestic battery manufacturing. According to figures cited from the Ministry of Heavy Industries, lithium-ion battery demand in India could reach 210 GWh by 2030, creating an estimated annual requirement of 200,000-230,000 tonnes of graphite anode material. Recovering graphite from used batteries and manufacturing scrap could therefore provide an additional source of domestic feedstock.

LICO will recover graphite through its critical mineral recovery process and supply it to EAM. EAM will then process and qualify the recovered material for use as secondary feedstock in its graphite anode material platform. The companies expect to make samples available for customer validation by the end of 2026, following internal development and testing.

EAM manufactures synthetic, natural and blended graphite anode materials for lithium-ion battery applications, including electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems. The two companies are developing a closed-loop supply chain in which graphite recovered from end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap can be reintroduced into anode material production, enabling material already present in the battery ecosystem to be reused in the manufacturing process.