Rocklink opens 10,000T lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Uttar Pradesh

INDIA – Rocklink India has opened a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh, with 10,000 tonnes annual input capacity, producing up to 6,000 tonnes of blackmass for cobalt, nickel, lithium, and manganese recovery.

The plant can handle all types of lithium-ion batteries, recovering cobalt, nickel, lithium, and manganese, as well as rare earth elements including neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium from permanent magnets. 

Leonard Ansorge, Director of Rocklink India, explained that the company focuses on batteries and magnets, which translate into critical minerals essential for electric vehicles, defense, and electronics.

Capacity and Scalability

The plant has been built for future capacity as volumes become available. 

Ansorge noted that the installed capacity enables production of up to 6,000 tonnes of blackmass, the concentrated mixture of valuable metals after shredding and separation.

The company plans to add dry processing plants to handle scrap from cell manufacturing companies now being commissioned in India.

Meeting India’s Rare Earth Demand

India’s requirement for rare earth permanent magnets is approximately 4,000 tonnes annually, projected to nearly double by 2030. 

The government is pushing for 6,000 MTPA integrated rare earth permanent magnets production by 2030, supported by a ₹7,280 crore (approximately US$875 million) incentive scheme. 

Ansorge estimated that recycling could potentially cover around 5 percent of total demand and growth in the Indian market.

Future Expansion Plans

The company is working to add further capabilities, including a research laboratory and a rare earth processing plant expected within approximately one year at the same site. Rocklink is also looking into a potential site in southern India for future expansion. 

Ansorge noted that demand for magnets is growing globally at a CAGR of over 10 percent.

Industry Challenges

Raw material availability remains a constraint, with significant dependency on the informal sector. 

Volumes for magnet processing are currently limited, and demand for finished products in India remains underdeveloped, with some refined materials currently exported due to lack of domestic demand. 

However, Ansorge expressed confidence that India’s recycling ecosystem will continue to develop into a more formal and mature market.

When Batteries Become a Resource

A 10,000-tonne battery recycling plant is not just an environmental facility—it is a strategic asset. 

For India’s EV and electronics ambitions, every tonne of lithium, cobalt, and nickel recovered domestically is one less tonne imported. Rocklink’s new plant is a start. The target is self-reliance.

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