LOHUM to procure black mass from UK-based Recyclus • EVreporter

LOHUM, a Delhi-based lithium-ion battery recycler, has signed a black mass offtake agreement with Recyclus Group Ltd, a subsidiary of Technology Minerals Plc. Recyclus focuses on creating a sustainable circular economy for battery metals and operates in the UK.

Under this agreement, Recyclus will sell black mass produced at its lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Wolverhampton to LOHUM’s facility in India. This arrangement aligns with LOHUM’s strategy to source black mass from multiple partners to build its inventory. Black mass contains essential metals, including lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt, which can be reprocessed and reintroduced into the battery manufacturing supply chain. Recyclus has achieved a 47% recycling rate from end-of-life batteries to black mass at its Wolverhampton facility, as claimed by the company statement.

The partnership with LOHUM originated from Recyclus’ academic collaboration with the University of Birmingham, which included hosting a delegation from India. This collaboration and Recyclus’ participation in the UK and Indian Governments’ Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems (ITES) scheme have strengthened the relationship with LOHUM. The partnership aims to develop trade links and advance electrification. Together, LOHUM and Recyclus form a closed-loop materials ecosystem where Recyclus produces black mass and LOHUM extracts critical materials.

According to the official statement, LOHUM’s NEETM multi-stage Hydrometallurgical process recovers energy transition materials with a 95% yield and 99.5% purity rate. The company has partnerships with international and Indian EV brands, battery manufacturers, and materials companies, including Mercedes Benz Energy, MG Motor India, Log9, Ather, Vecmocon, Altigreen, and Stellantis India & Asia. LOHUM has also partnered with entities in Nepal’s EV ecosystem, including MG Nepal and Tata Motors Nepal.

Robin Brundle, Chairman of Technology Minerals and Director of Recyclus, said:“We are delighted to secure our first black mass offtake agreement with Lohum Cleantech, India’s largest producer of sustainable energy transition materials. It is a strong endorsement for our battery recycling process and demonstrates the demand for black mass, which contains minerals crucial for the battery manufacturing sector and green transition. We are seeing increased commercial traction for our recycling solutions, and this deal further underscores our potential to build international trading partners as the world shifts to electrification.”

Rajat Verma, Founder & CEO of LOHUM expressed-“We applaud Recyclus’ success in extracting black mass with viability, and this partnership will effectively help both companies close the loop on battery raw materials. This partnership is also one of the world’s first examples of a circular materials ecosystem consisting of multiple recyclers in the same loop. The black mass recovered by Recyclus will be further refined at LOHUM to yield various critical minerals vital to the energy development and energy security of nations worldwide.”

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