Lohum To Expand Operations in India, Overseas

Company sees huge growth opportunities in lithium battery recycling beyond India in the US, Europe and ASEAN

Lohum Cleantech, the lithium-ion battery lifecycle management company, plans to commission its fourth facility in Noida, Uttar Pradesh by the second half of calendar 2023.

Rajat Verma, founder and CEO, told Mobility Outlook that it would be three times the size of the company’s existing plants in Noida comprising two for dismantling and reassembly and the third for recycling.

He added that the fourth facility would combine all three processes with an installed capacity of 900 megawatts for dismantling and reassembly and 30,000 tonnes for recycling. The plant is part of an INR 150 crore outlay which will happen in a phased manner.

Verma said the next phase of expansion will kick off in the south. “We are targeting this part of the country since many battery manufacturing facilities are coming up there and it makes sense to be nearby,” he added. Work will begin in the second half of CY23 and will involve raising funds.

Lohum had earlier announced its intent to set up a wholly-owned plant in the US where it will operate some processes with partners taking up the balance responsibility. This facility will be commissioned post-2023.

The growth model overseas will be a mix of capacity expansion and buyouts. “Wherever we believe we can build the team organically, we will do so; else, we are open to possible acquisitions or partnerships with other entities with a global presence,” said Verma.

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Lohum is eyeing Europe, Korea and Southeast Asia as part of the mid to long term plans. “We are already working with some partners in Europe and will announce something very soon,” he added.

The company recycles and refines used batteries to produce precursor materials. It also uses a bunch of patented technologies for a ‘three-way approach to critical useful life’. These are used to make different chemical compounds with lithium, cobalt, nickel etc.

Here, Lohum has three models which include physics-based modelling, empirical modelling and data science-based modelling to determine the utility of a used battery. Typically, this involves measuring data points when a battery is collected.