Kamal Ghorui
Rocklink India has established an integrated recycling facility for lithium-ion batteries and rare earth magnets at the UPSIDC Industrial Area in Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh, marking its first such operation in the country. The plant is designed to process lithium-ion batteries, rare-earth magnets, and metal-bearing industrial waste, supporting efforts to strengthen domestic recovery of critical materials and to develop circular supply chains. The facility has an initial lithium-ion battery recycling capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year, along with rare earth magnet processing operations of 60 tonnes per month.The company is also set to commission a rare-earth chloride processing unit with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes annually in the first quarter of 2026, aimed at expanding its capabilities in rare-earth material recovery. According to Leonard Alexander Ansorge, Director of Rocklink India Pvt. Ltd., the facility is intended to support the development of recycling infrastructure for critical materials used in electric mobility, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
The plant is registered under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) norms and is equipped to handle 95 types of battery scrap, including pre- and post-consumer materials. It uses the company’s in-house developed recycling process, referred to as R2, which converts battery waste into reusable components while managing hazardous emissions. The company says that the process is designed to handle different battery formats and chemistries, with systems in place to capture volatile organic compounds through controlled processing and waste gas treatment. The facility achieves recovery rates of over 98 per cent for metals such as aluminium, copper and iron, while producing black mass for further refinement.In addition to recycling, Rocklink India plans to introduce battery refurbishment operations at the site. This will allow usable cells to be tested, balanced and repurposed, extending battery life cycles and improving resource efficiency. The facility also includes dedicated infrastructure for rare earth magnet recycling, covering materials such as NdFeB, SmCo and AlNiCo, commonly used in motors and industrial applications. Semi-automated systems will dismantle magnet-containing assemblies to improve material traceability and processing efficiency.Rocklink India is also expanding its Magcycle reverse logistics model, previously deployed in Europe, to India. The system is designed to streamline the collection and movement of magnet scrap into appropriate recycling channels. The company is adopting a “Know Your Material” approach, supported by in-house testing and grading systems to determine optimal recycling pathways. Materials unsuitable for direct recycling will be processed into rare earth chlorides using a rotary kiln-based system at the facility. Rocklink India said it will work with technology firms, research institutions and government agencies to improve recycling processes and strengthen the domestic supply chain for critical raw materials.
