’Will take serious note...’: Nitin Gadkari on dumping of lithium-ion battery waste
- Nitin Gadkari informed the Parliament that the sixth largest reserve of lithium-ion is found in Jammu & Kashmir and India imports 1,200 tonnes of lithium-ion
Lithium-ion batteries, which have emerged as a game-changer in the realm of sustainable energy and storage technologies, its waste is equally detrimental.
Currently, in India's journey to achieve a net zero carbon goal, electric vehicles have a key role to play as most plug-in hybrids and all EVs use lithium-ion batteries. However environmental experts have raised concerns regarding the dumping of these batteries.
Yesterday, Congress member Ranjeet Ranjan during the question hour in the Rajya Sabha raised the issue of the ill-effect of lithium-ion battery waste dumping. The Congress MP also underscored the risk workers go through in manufacturing units of the storage of lithium-ion batteries.
Ranjan stated that there is a research report that highlights the ill effects on the health of workers involved in the process of manufacturing lithium-ion batteries.
She said that the dumping of these batteries after completing the life cycle affects the environment poisons the earth and deteriorates soil fertility.
Responding to Congress' queries, Union Minister Gadkari said, "There is no such report or finding with us. If anything of such sort comes to our notice then we will consider it. We will take serious note of the issue and work out recycling of lithium-ion battery waste".
He said that lithium-ion batteries are a futuristic technology, and added, "Government is working in the direction with the futuristic technology, vision, and planning".
Explaining lithium battery, Gadkari added that there are four chemistries and work is going on aluminum steel ion battery and aluminum air technology.
He pointed out that where the cost (of running) is ₹100 to 110 for petrol (vehicle), the electric vehicles cost only ₹10.
He said that the lithium-ion battery cost which was $150 per Kilowatt hour has now come down to $115 per kilowatt hour.
He was of the view that the cost of electric vehicles is high at present compared to petrol or diesel vehicles.
"Electric vehicle is very popular. The only problem is that the cost difference between petrol/diesel vehicles and e-vehicle... e-vehicles is high and it depends upon the volume. when the volume will increase, I feel that it is my estimate, I am not giving you the promise that within one a half years, the cost of the petrol, diesel, and e-vehicle will be the same," he said.
He further informed the House that the sixth largest reserve of lithium-ion is found in Jammu & Kashmir and India imports 1,200 tonnes of lithium-ion.
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Business NewsIndustry’Will take serious note...’: Nitin Gadkari on dumping of lithium-ion battery waste
First Published:7 Dec 2023, 11:23 AM IST
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