MiniMines Secures Indian Patent for Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology

MiniMines Cleantech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. has secured a patent from the Indian Patent Office for its Hybrid Hydrometallurgy (HHMR) technology, a process designed to recover critical minerals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and other electronic waste. The patent strengthens the Bengaluru-based company’s efforts to develop domestic battery recycling and critical mineral recovery capabilities in India.

MiniMines said its HHMR process combines multiple recovery techniques within a hydrometallurgical system and is designed to process lithium-ion batteries regardless of their chemical composition, size or shape. The technology targets the recovery of lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminium, copper and nickel, as well as spherical graphite with reported purity of up to 99%.

The process has been developed in India and has already been deployed and validated at MiniMines’ commercial recycling facility, where it forms part of the company’s lithium-ion battery recycling operations. The company said the technology is intended to support resource recovery while limiting the environmental footprint of battery recycling.

“The grant of this patent is a significant milestone in MiniMines’ journey towards building indigenous technology capabilities for India’s critical minerals ecosystem,” said Arvind Bhardwaj, Co-Founder and CTO of MiniMines Cleantech Solutions. He said the company is focused on developing scalable and commercially viable recovery technologies as demand for critical minerals increases.

MiniMines is also developing processes to recover critical minerals and rare earth elements (REEs) from other complex waste streams. The company said its technology development has received institutional support, including ₹4.3 crore ($510,000) in grants from Oil India Corporation following multiple process validations.

Its battery recycling technology has also received recognition from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). ACT Grants and Mercedes-Benz have supported the company through the Climate Tech Incubator operated by Villgro.

MiniMines has also worked with Maruti Suzuki on the recycling of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, linking battery recovery with the automotive company’s electric mobility and sustainability activities.

Headquartered in Bengaluru, MiniMines provides technology development, commercial recycling and R&D services for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and other complex waste streams. The company aims to recover critical and rare-earth materials for reuse as industrial feedstock in sectors including electric mobility and renewable energy.

Source: SAUR ENERGY

SUNSHINE Spotlight: MiniMines’ Indian patent adds a domestic hydrometallurgical recovery technology to India’s developing battery recycling and critical mineral supply chain.