Indian battery recycler Lohum has announced plans to establish a joint venture in the United States with partners ReElement Technologies and American Metals. This new company will focus on both battery recycling and supplying reconditioned battery materials to the market.
The three companies recently signed a letter of intent outlining the primary objectives of the venture. Central to the plan is the construction of a plant at the Marion Advanced Technology Centre in Indiana, where ReElement Technologies already operates. This facility will serve as both a battery recycling and production hub, boasting a capacity of 15.5 GWh. According to the companies, this will enable the plant to supply materials for over 315,000 electric vehicles annually. The initial investment in the project is estimated at $30 million (approximately €27 million).
The facility is set to feature an integrated end-to-end battery and critical minerals lifecycle management system. This will include everything from battery cell testing and segregation for second-life energy storage to recycling, mineral refining, and the production of battery-grade materials. The Marion plant will be the first operational site, with plans for additional locations to follow as needed by the joint venture partners. The recycled materials produced at the site will have a purity level exceeding 99.5%, and a major focus will be placed on lithium recovery.
Rajat Verma, CEO and founder of Lohum, stated that the collaboration with ReElement and American Metals is aligned with their shared goal of creating sustainable battery material supply chains. “We believe the joint venture will be instrumental in building resilient critical material supply chains in the US that can sustain themselves through circularity,” Verma remarked, highlighting the partnership as an example of fruitful U.S.-India technology collaboration.
Lohum is already engaged in several high-profile partnerships, including a multi-year supply agreement with Mercedes-Benz Energy, under which it purchases used EV batteries for reconditioning. Lohum also collaborates with MG Motor in India to reuse batteries from electric vehicles in second-life applications such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
Lohum is known as India’s largest producer of sustainable lithium-ion battery raw materials through recycling, reuse, and low-carbon refining. The company focuses on second-life applications, particularly for the Indian market, covering both stationary and non-automotive storage solutions, as well as mobile applications like electric rickshaws.