Mining spent batteries for minerals

The world today runs on loads of batteries. Everything from electric vehicles to laptops, smartphones and wristwatches are powered by lithium-ion batteries. While this spells convenience, it also brings with it challenges — besides adding to the growing menace of e-waste, the use of Li-ion batteries leaves India dependent on raw material imports from China. 

Moreover, lithium is difficult to mine and recycle, entailing a grave environmental cost. Bengaluru-based clean-tech startup MiniMines, founded by Anupam Kumar and Arvind Bhardwaj in 2021, aims to tackle many of these issues. 

The company recycles spent lithium-ion batteries to extract lithium, nickel and cobalt for resale as raw material. As Kumar explains, the idea behind the venture was to “create a platform for all kinds of sustainable raw materials to make any kind of energy storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries or super capacitors”.

Carbon cutter

MiniMines’ patented ‘hybrid-hydrometallurgy’ process is able to extract elemental compounds with over 96 per cent purity, while its carbon footprint is about one-tenth that of the traditional method, he adds. 

The company has two segments of buyers — energy storage device manufacturers; and industrial applications such as catalyst, dye and high-temperature grease manufacturing. It currently has five customers in these categories and clocks monthly revenue of ₹3-4 lakh. 

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MiniMines has a semi-commercial unit in Bengaluru with a capacity of 1.5 tonnes per month; it plans to develop a fully commercial unit with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes per annum in the next six months. With this expansion, the startup projects a topline of ₹90 crore per annum. 

After achieving commercial scale and developing a steady revenue channel, the startup aims to raise more funding, to scale further.