Rocklink India launches lithium-ion and rare earth recycling plant in UP
Author: PPD Team Date: April 24, 2026
Rocklink India, a wholly owned entity of the Rocklink group, has inaugurated its first integrated recycling facility in India at the UPSIDC Industrial Area in Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh, focused on lithium-ion batteries, rare earth magnets, and metal-bearing industrial waste.
The plant has an initial capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually. Its rare earth magnet dismantling and processing line can handle 60 tonnes per month. A rare earth chloride processing unit with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes per year is scheduled for commissioning by the first quarter of 2026.
The facility operates under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) registration and is designed to process 95 categories of battery scrap, covering both pre-consumer and post-consumer waste. It deploys the company’s in-house R2 recycling technology, which converts battery waste into reusable materials while capturing volatile organic compounds through a sealed processing system and gas purification units.
The process achieves metal recovery rates exceeding 98% for aluminium, copper, and iron, and produces high-grade black mass for further refining. The system is compatible with different battery chemistries, sizes, and formats.
The plant also includes a dedicated unit for recycling rare earth magnets such as NdFeB, SmCo, and AlNiCo, commonly used in electric motors, generators, and industrial equipment. Semi-automated dismantling systems are used to process magnet-bearing assemblies into standardised feedstock.
Rocklink India plans to introduce battery refurbishment services at the site, enabling reuse of viable cells after testing, balancing, and reassembly. The company is also extending its Magcycle reverse logistics model from Europe to India to streamline collection and recycling of magnet waste.
The facility follows a “Know Your Material (KYM)” approach, using in-house laboratory analysis to determine optimal recycling pathways. Residues not suitable for direct recycling will be processed into rare earth chlorides using a 22-metre direct-fired rotary kiln.
According to Leonard Alexander Ansorge, Director of Rocklink India Pvt. Ltd., the plant supports the development of domestic recycling capacity for critical materials used in electric vehicles, clean energy systems, and advanced manufacturing.