Lohum Cleantech to supply 10,000 metric tonne specialty chemicals to Glencore

Lohum, a lithium-ion battery lifecycle management firm, and Glencore, a natural resource company, on Thursday announced strategic partnership to advance circularity in the Li-ion battery supply chain.

As part of this tie-up, Lohum will supply Glencore with 10,000 tonne of specialty chemicals for the battery supply chain over the next five years, including cathodes, sulphates, carbonates, and oxides of various metals extracted from spent batteries and other sources, a company release said.

Lohum and Glencore share a vision to further the energy transition and recognise the need to sustainably address the growing commodities demand for Li-ion batteries. The global partnership will allow both companies to deepen their recycling expertise and support the advancement of a circular economy by supplying raw Lithium ion battery material back into the battery supply chain, it said.

Announcing this partnership, Rajat Verma, founder & CEO of Lohum, said, “At Lohum, we recognise that lithium carbonate extraction through recycling consumes significantly fewer resources than conventional mining. Our partnership with Glencore underpins our global commitment to expanding the availability of existing battery resources through recycling. Our energy-efficient recycling technologies lend us a strong differentiation from most companies and showcase our unique efforts and capabilities in extracting specialty chemicals from spent Li-ion batteries.“

“This major development will directly boost India’s battery industry and energy security, leading to large scale value creation in employment, domestic ecosystem growth, and import savings on LIB raw materials,” he added.

An expanding focus on Li-ion battery recycling is inevitable to meet the burgeoning raw Lithium ion battery material demand, especially in view of growing EV adoption. The multi-million-dollar association between Glencore and Lohum is in complete alignment with the government’s vision of scaling up the sector.

By re-imagining how the lithium ion industry would be indigenous in India, Lohum seeks to establish an ecosystem. This partnership will lessen India’s reliance on other countries, which will eventually result in lower battery prices, allowing the entire country to quickly transition to sustainable energy storage.

Jyothish George, co-head of marketing Zinc and Copper, Glencore , said, “We are excited to partner with a key player of India’s green economy. Our focus on a greener future is aligned and supports Glencore’s ambition to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Part of our approach is to seamlessly combine primary as well as recycled feed streams to provide the critical metals needed for the transition to a low carbon future. Our partnership with Lohum fully complements these goals.”

As part of its mission to expand its recycling footprint, Lohum will procure spent batteries and recycle them at its plant in the National Capital Region, India, the release added.