N.A.N. GreenMet, Silox form JV to build 40,000-TPA battery recycling platform amid India's critical minerals push

N.A.N. GreenMet, the advanced manufacturing platform founded by Vedanta Vice Chairman Navin Agarwal, has partnered Belgium-headquartered Silox Group to establish a large-scale battery recycling and critical minerals recovery platform in India, as the country seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains for electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy technologies.

The two companies have formed N.A.N. Silox GreenMet Pvt. Ltd., a 50:50 joint venture that will develop an integrated facility in Andhra Pradesh to process end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and recover strategic minerals including lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. The project is expected to be developed in phases, ultimately targeting a spent battery shredding capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) and hydrometallurgical processing capacity of 20,000 TPA.

Tapping a growing source of critical minerals

India remains heavily dependent on imports for battery-grade critical minerals, creating a strategic challenge as EV adoption and energy storage deployments accelerate. Industry experts increasingly view battery recycling as a crucial source of raw materials that can help reduce import dependence while supporting circular economy goals.

The planned facility will process spent batteries from electric vehicles, consumer electronics and stationary energy storage systems through shredding, beneficiation and refining processes. The recovered materials can be reused across the battery value chain, helping manufacturers secure local supplies of critical inputs.

The company said land for the project has already been secured in Andhra Pradesh and relevant incentives are in place.

Technology-backed expansion into advanced materials

Silox brings more than four decades of expertise in hydrometallurgical recovery of non-ferrous metals and has developed a proprietary process for recovering battery-grade lithium, cobalt and nickel. According to the companies, the technology has already been validated at pilot scale in India through Silox Specialties India.

Beyond recycling, the joint venture plans to explore opportunities in higher-value segments, including precursor cathode active materials (pCAM), cathode active materials (CAM) and second-life battery applications for stationary energy storage systems.

Commenting on the development, Agarwal said the venture aims to create domestic capabilities for retaining and reusing valuable battery materials that would otherwise be lost to the supply chain. J.C. Bogaert, chairman of Silox Group, said the partnership combines Silox's recycling expertise with N.A.N. GreenMet's execution capabilities to support India's emergence as an important player in the global battery ecosystem.

Aligned with India's recycling ambitions

The project is expected to benefit from the government's ₹1,500-crore Critical Minerals Recycling Scheme, which seeks to promote domestic recovery and reuse of strategic minerals. As India expands its EV manufacturing footprint and battery storage capacity, recycling is expected to play an increasingly important role in securing raw material supplies and reducing supply-chain vulnerabilities.