This startup has developed environment-friendly process to extract and recycle lithium from batteries

The problem of constructing electrical automobiles (EVs) extra accessible and inexpensive in India is twofold. Firstly, the excessive value of EVs, primarily pushed by the costly lithium-ion batteries that energy them, places these automobiles out of attain for a lot of potential consumers.

The batteries alone can account for as much as 40% of an EV’s complete value, making EVs considerably dearer than their inside combustion engine counterparts. This value disparity is exacerbated by India’s reliance on importing lithium-ion cells from nations like China and South Korea, highlighting the pressing want for a localized answer to deliver down prices. Secondly, the difficulty of recycling lithium-ion batteries presents an environmental and logistical problem.

The prevalent strategies of disposal, which regularly contain incineration or landfill, hurt the atmosphere and squander priceless sources that may very well be reclaimed. Conventional recycling strategies fall quick in effectively recovering pure metals and contribute to CO2 emissions, undermining the environmental advantages EVs are supposed to supply.

Addressing these challenges requires modern approaches to each cut back the price of EVs and enhance the recycling of lithium-ion batteries. A sustainable, home manufacturing of lithium-ion cells might considerably decrease the worth of EVs, making them a extra engaging choice for customers.

Moreover, growing an environment friendly, eco-friendly recycling course of for lithium-ion batteries might assist reclaim treasured metals like lithium, lowering dependency on imports and minimizing environmental influence.

That is the place startups like Minimines come into play, proposing options that might revolutionize the EV market by making it each extra inexpensive and sustainable.

By specializing in these crucial areas, Minimines goals to contribute to India’s transition to electrical mobility, making certain that EVs will not be solely helpful for the atmosphere but additionally accessible to a broader phase of the inhabitants.

Who’re the founders?

Arvind Bhardwaj and Anupam Kumar are the co-founders of Minimines.

Arvind Bhardwaj earned a twin diploma in B.Tech and M.Tech in Nanotechnology. His profession started with a analysis internship within the Division of Physics on the College of Rajasthan. In 2015, he was a challenge trainee at CSIR – Nationwide Chemical Laboratory, and by 2016, he turned a Analysis Assistant at Manipal College Jaipur.

In 2017, Arvind joined Log 9 Supplies as a analysis affiliate and was later promoted to AVP of R&D. In 2019, he co-founded Nanomatrix Supplies, the place he targeted on analysis and product growth. In 2021, he co-founded Minimines with Anupam Kumar and took on the position of CTO.

Anupam Kumar graduated with a Bachelor’s diploma in Chemical Engineering, specializing in Plastics and Polymers. His early expertise contains being a staff member of AIESEC in 2014 and dealing as a vocational trainee at SAIL (Metal Authority of India Restricted) the identical yr.

In 2015, he accomplished an internship at ONGC (Oil and Pure Gasoline Company Restricted) and a place as a analysis assistant at BARC later that yr. In 2017, Anupam labored as a analysis affiliate at Log 9 Supplies, the place he was finally promoted to Enterprise Improvement Supervisor.

By 2019, he had turn out to be the Vice President of Product Improvement at Sorbene. In 2021, alongside co-founding Nanomatrix Supplies, he additionally co-founded Minimines with Arvind Bhardwaj, serving because the CEO.

What’s Minimines?

Minimines emerges as a beacon of innovation within the cleantech sector, specializing in the urgent challenge of excessive electrical automobile (EV) prices and environmental sustainability.

Based mostly in Bengaluru, this startup has carved a distinct segment by growing a groundbreaking answer to cut back the worth of EVs, making them extra accessible to the typical shopper. 

The center of the issue lies within the battery pack, notably the lithium-ion cells, that are a major value issue for EVs. Minimines goals to deal with this problem head-on, providing a sustainable and cost-effective various to the present reliance on imported lithium-ion cells.

The way it began?

Based in 2021 by Anupam Kumar and Arvind Bhardwaj, Minimines was born out of a imaginative and prescient to deal with the twin challenges of environmental sustainability and the affordability of EVs.

Recognizing the bottleneck created by the excessive value of lithium-ion batteries and the environmental points related to their disposal, Kumar and Bhardwaj got down to create an answer that not solely makes EVs cheaper but additionally contributes positively to the atmosphere. Their journey was impressed by the belief {that a} important quantity of lithium-ion waste, which may very well be recycled and reused, was being discarded in landfills or incinerated.

What does Minimines do?

Minimines gives a revolutionary strategy to recycling lithium-ion batteries and different digital waste, using a proprietary hybrid-hydrometallurgy course of. This course of permits the environment friendly extraction of lithium and different treasured metals with a excessive purity degree with out producing water, residual, or carbon dioxide waste.

By doing so, The startup not solely addresses the associated fee barrier related to EV batteries but additionally gives an environmentally pleasant recycling answer.

The startup’s hybrid hydrometallurgy course of is a game-changer, consisting of three key levels: extraction, separation, and beneficiation. Initially, steel elements from batteries or digital units are extracted.

Then, by a course of that leverages various solubility of steel salts, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese are separated and extracted. Lastly, a variety of purification processes is utilized to pay attention these priceless parts. The modern course of ensures that there isn’t any liquid or strong waste, with water being reused, making the whole operation environmentally sustainable.

What know-how does it use?

Minimines makes use of a cutting-edge hybrid-hydrometallurgy know-how that units it other than standard recycling strategies. This know-how is able to attaining almost 96% purity in extracting lithium and treasured metals of their elemental states.

The method is designed to be fully environment-friendly, aligning with international sustainability objectives and contributing to the discount of digital waste.

Enterprise mannequin

The enterprise mannequin of Minimines is multifaceted, with commodity gross sales being its major income stream. This includes promoting the recovered parts to EV battery producers and different industries.

Moreover, the startup generates income by licensing its proprietary know-how and promoting carbon credit, due to its non-polluting recycling course of. This modern strategy not solely offers a sustainable answer to battery recycling but additionally opens up new income streams for the corporate.

Partnerships and funding

Minimines has garnered assist and recognition from notable entities, together with a major grant from Oil India Ltd and certification from the United Nations Industrial Improvement Group (UNIDO). These endorsements validate the startup’s know-how and strategy, paving the best way for future partnerships and funding alternatives. The startup is poised for progress, with plans to boost extra funding to scale its operations and broaden its influence.

Future plans

Trying forward, Minimines plans to broaden its know-how to arrange a full-scale facility, additional revolutionizing the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and contributing to the sustainability of the EV trade.

The startup goals to accomplice with producers and producers to fulfil their Prolonged Producer Accountability (EPR), making certain the lifecycle administration of merchandise and their recycling.