The move aims to keep scarce minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel within the country, he added.
The government has prohibited the export of lithium-ion battery black mass with immediate effect to retain critical minerals for domestic recycling, an official said.
Critical minerals are essential inputs for electric mobility, advanced chemistry cell batteries, energy storage, electronics and renewable energy. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) prohibited the export of lithium-ion battery black mass through a notification issued on November 10, placing the item in the prohibited category, the official, a spokesperson for the commerce and industry ministry, said. Because of inadequate feedstock, he said, the country’s capacity to recycle battery waste and refine critical minerals has grown considerably but is not being fully utilised.
“The measure is to assure feedstock for domestic recyclers, reduce import dependence and strengthen battery and clean-energy supply chains,” he said. The prohibition covers waste and scrap of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators, as well as spent cells, batteries and accumulators that are unsorted and do not contain lead, cadmium or mercury, he said. India depends substantially on imports for several of them, he said. “Recycling of battery waste is among the quickest and most sustainable ways of building a domestic supply of these minerals,” he added. Exporting black mass generated in India diverts this valuable secondary resource abroad, while domestic recyclers have, in some cases, had to import material to meet their requirements, he said.
It will also support environmentally sound recycling of this hazardous material within the country under applicable environmental regulations, he added.
The development should be seen in the context of the government’s vision to advance the circular economy and “urban mining”, which aim to reduce reliance on primary mining, he said.
