Week 1: Battery End-of-Life Fundamentals & Disassembly

Li-ion battery architectures (NMC, NCA, LFP, LMO, LTO) and their recyclability profiles. Understanding capacity degradation — calendar ageing vs. cycle ageing and the 80% State-of-Health retirement threshold. Cell-to-Pack (CTP) and Cell-to-Chassis (CTC) design trends and their impact on disassembly complexity. Structural adhesives, spot-welding, and potting compounds — dismantling challenges for modern EV packs. Safe handling of end-of-life batteries — high-voltage isolation, thermal runaway risks, discharge protocols, and UN 38.3 transport compliance. Automated vs. manual disassembly — robotics and AI-driven sorting systems for chemistry identification.

Case Study: Redwood Materials' closed-loop recovery model — from collection to 98% critical mineral recovery at their Nevada and South Carolina facilities (10 GWh/year capacity, 500+ jobs, 95%+ lithium recovery efficiency).

Week 2: Pyrometallurgy & Hydrometallurgy — Industrial Recycling Methods

Pyrometallurgy: Smelting-based recovery — process flow, energy requirements, alloy formation (Cu-Ni-Co), slag chemistry, and limitations (lithium loss to slag, high energy consumption, CO₂ emissions). Umicore's combined pyro-hydromet process achieving 95%+ recovery for Ni, Cu, Co and 70%+ for lithium with 20–30% cost efficiency advantage. Hydrometallurgy: Acid leaching (sulfuric, hydrochloric), solvent extraction, selective precipitation — step-by-step process for recovering lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese as battery-grade salts. Advanced solvent systems and selective recovery of individual metals. Comparing economics — pyrometallurgy vs. hydrometallurgy CAPEX/OPEX, throughput, purity levels, and environmental footprint.

IEC 62660 Battery testing standards for recycling input characterisation.

Week 3: Direct Recycling & Emerging Technologies

Direct recycling (cathode-to-cathode): The most environmentally efficient approach — regenerating cathode active material without breaking it down to elemental form. Re-lithiation techniques (solid-state, hydrothermal, electrochemical). CATL's 99.6% lithium recovery demonstration using direct recycling for LFP cells. Challenges: mixed-chemistry feedstock, contamination management, and scaling from lab to production. Emerging technologies: Electrochemical recycling, mechanochemical processing, bioleaching (using bacteria for metal extraction), supercritical CO₂ electrolyte recovery. AI-driven battery sorting — spectroscopic chemistry identification, X-ray analysis, and robotic disassembly. Black mass processing — the intermediate product of battery recycling and its growing commodity market. Solid-state battery recycling considerations for next-generation EV packs.

Case Study: Li-Cycle's Spoke & Hub model — patented wet chemistry process achieving up to 95% material recovery across multiple North American and European facilities.

Week 4: Critical Mineral Recovery Economics & Supply Chain

Critical mineral demand projections — 18–20x lithium, 17–19x cobalt, and 28–31x nickel increases by 2050. Geopolitical dependencies — China controls 90% of global lithium refining; Congo produces 70% of cobalt. Price volatility of battery metals (cobalt at $30,000–$50,000/tonne) and its impact on recycling economics. Manufacturing scrap vs. end-of-life feedstock — scrap accounts for 59% of recycling inputs today; end-of-life packs carry higher metal concentrations with 25–35% better margins. Closed-loop supply chain design — from OEM to recycler and back to cell manufacturing. Strategic sourcing agreements — how Redwood Materials, LOHUM, and Umicore lock in feedstock contracts with OEMs (Toyota, GM, VW, Tesla). India's critical mineral strategy — reducing import dependence through domestic recycling, aligning with India's Net Zero 2070 goals.

SAE J3327 Global traceability standard for tracking critical minerals throughout the battery lifecycle — from extraction to end-of-life.

Week 5: State-of-Health Diagnostics & Battery Grading

Battery State-of-Health (SoH) assessment — electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), capacity fade modelling, internal resistance measurement, and remaining useful life (RUL) prediction. Chemistry-specific grading protocols — why NMC and LFP batteries require fundamentally different testing approaches (LFP's flat voltage curve makes SoC estimation challenging). Grading tiers for second-life viability: Tier 1 (>80% SoH — EV reuse/extended life), Tier 2 (60–80% SoH — stationary BESS), Tier 3 (<60% SoH — recycling pathway). Data gaps as the biggest barrier — inconsistent SoH reporting across manufacturers, missing cycle counts, fragmented digital handover from OEMs to recyclers. AI and machine learning for battery health prediction — training models on real-world degradation data.

EN 18061:2025 EU's first harmonised standard for safely reusing EV batteries for energy storage — published September 2025.

Week 6: Second-Life BESS Design & Deployment

Repurposing EV batteries for stationary energy storage — used packs retain 70–80% capacity and remain valuable for less demanding applications. Pack-level vs. module-level integration — trade-offs between cost, complexity, and performance monitoring. BESS architectures for second-life packs: grid-scale, commercial/industrial, residential backup, telecom towers, rural microgrids, and EV charging station buffers. Techno-economic analysis — comparing second-life BESS vs. new battery BESS on levelized cost of storage (LCOS). BMS adaptation for second-life — recalibrating battery management systems for stationary duty cycles. Safety considerations — thermal management, fire suppression, and site safety standards for repurposed pack installations.

Case Study: Redwood Energy's 63 MWh microgrid in Nevada — 800+ second-life battery packs powering an AI data centre via Crusoe, the largest second-life project in North America (constructed in under 4 months, immediately profitable). Enel's 2.6 MW / 10 MWh second-life project at an Italian airport.

Week 7: EU Battery Passport & Digital Traceability

EU Battery Passport (mandatory from February 2027): Unique digital record accessible via QR code for every EV, LMT, and industrial battery (>2 kWh) placed on the EU market. Required data fields — chemical composition, carbon footprint, recycled content, performance specifications, SoH, manufacturing origin, recycling instructions, and supply chain due diligence. Interoperable data formats — open standards, Catena-X data exchange, blockchain-based traceability (Circularise model). Selective data access architecture — public data vs. commercially sensitive information restricted to authorised stakeholders (repair workshops, recyclers, regulators). SAE J3327 — first industry-wide framework for tracking critical minerals from extraction to recycling. Data management challenges — collecting standardised information across global supply chains.

EU Reg. 2023/1542 Battery Passport Catena-X

Week 8: Second-Life Business Models & Market Dynamics

Key players and business models: Connected Energy, B2U Storage Solutions, Rejoule, Betteries (pack-level BESS), Nissan/Sumitomo (4R Energy), BMW Malaysia second-life initiatives (January 2025), Moon Power RE:LIFE system (Porsche subsidiary, September 2025). New LFP battery price erosion — LFP packs dropping below $100/kWh challenges second-life economics but supply chain risks and sustainability mandates favour reuse long-term. Revenue models — energy arbitrage, demand charge management, frequency regulation, backup power, and renewable energy time-shifting. Insurance, warranty, and liability frameworks for second-life battery deployments. VW-Huayou cascade mobile energy storage (March 2025). GM-Redwood Energy collaboration (July 2025) for stationary storage from used and unused battery packs. Market reality check: second-life BESS currently accounts for less than 0.1% of grid-scale projects in North America and 0.2% in Europe — massive growth potential ahead.

Week 9: EU Battery Regulation Deep Dive & Global Regulatory Landscape

EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 — complete compliance roadmap: Carbon footprint declaration (mandatory for EV batteries from February 2025). Labelling and QR code requirements (2026–2027 rollout). Recycled content thresholds (2031): 16% cobalt, 85% lead, 6% lithium, 6% nickel. Recycling efficiency targets: 65% for lithium-based batteries by end-2025, increasing by 2030. Material recovery targets (from December 2027): 90% for Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and 50% for lithium. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and due diligence for raw material sourcing. US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): DOE grants totalling $50 million (December 2025) for direct recycling startups. Critical minerals sourcing requirements for EV tax credits driving domestic recycling. China: Battery tracking systems, recycling mandates, effective ban on second-life grid-scale projects due to safety incidents (2021). Japan: New 2026 law mandating manufacturer collection and recycling with 70% lithium recovery target by 2030.

EU 2023/1542 US IRA Sec. 45X Basel Convention

Week 10: India Battery Waste Management Rules & EPR Compliance

India BWM Rules 2022 (with 2025 amendments) — complete compliance framework: EPR registration on CPCB portal — mandatory for all producers, importers, recyclers, and refurbishers. Collection targets: 70% of EV batteries by 2027–28 (by year of placement on market). Recovery targets: 70% (2024–25) → 80% (2025–26) → 90% (2026–27 onwards) of dry weight. Domestically recycled content mandate: 5% from 2027–28, scaling to 20% by 2030–31. 2025 amendments: QR code/barcode labelling on all batteries, fully digital compliance portal, environmental compensation penalties for non-compliance. EPR certificate trading mechanism — creating a market-driven recycling economy (predicted to exceed ₹2,000 crore by 2026). India's critical challenge: only ~1% of discarded batteries formally recycled; informal sector handles 90% of waste unsafely. Key India players: LOHUM (70% market share, 50,000+ EVs/year capacity), Attero, Recyclekaro, Green Li-ion, Nav Prakriti (Eastern India's first advanced LIB recycling facility, October 2025).

India BWM 2022 CPCB EPR Portal BIS Standards

Week 11: 5-Day Hands-On Lab Intensive (Offline — DIYguru Delhi/Pune)

Day 1 — Battery Pack Disassembly & Safety: Hands-on teardown of EV battery packs (NMC and LFP chemistries). High-voltage safety protocols — PPE, discharge procedures, isolation verification. Identifying cell types, BMS modules, thermal interface materials, and structural adhesives. Documenting disassembly steps for different pack architectures (module-based vs. CTP).

Day 2 — Hydrometallurgical Recovery Lab: Bench-scale acid leaching experiment — dissolving black mass in sulfuric acid + hydrogen peroxide. Selective precipitation — sequential recovery of cobalt, nickel, manganese, and lithium from leach solution. Purity analysis of recovered salts using basic analytical techniques. Process parameter optimisation — temperature, acid concentration, solid-to-liquid ratio.

Day 3 — SoH Diagnostics & Second-Life Grading: Testing battery modules using EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) and capacity cycling equipment. SoH classification — assigning modules to Tier 1 (EV reuse), Tier 2 (BESS), or Tier 3 (recycling). Using BMS data loggers to extract cycle count, voltage history, and temperature profiles. Hands-on grading exercise with mixed-chemistry batch of retired modules.

Day 4 — Second-Life BESS Assembly: Building a functional second-life energy storage demonstrator from graded modules. BMS reconfiguration for stationary duty cycle — adjusting charge/discharge profiles, SoC windows, and safety thresholds. Integrating the system with a solar charge controller and inverter. System commissioning — performance verification, efficiency measurement, and safety checks.

Day 5 — Capstone Simulation & Regulatory Compliance Workshop: End-to-end business simulation: participants receive a batch of mixed-condition EV batteries and must decide optimal pathways (extend first life, repurpose for BESS, or recycle). EPR compliance exercise — filing on India's CPCB portal, calculating recovery targets, generating EPR certificates. EU Battery Passport data entry simulation. Final presentations — each team presents their end-of-life management plan with techno-economic analysis.

Week 12: Circular Economy Business Strategy & Capstone Project

Design for recyclability — how cell chemistry, pack architecture, and adhesive choices impact end-of-life value extraction. Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) for batteries — carbon footprint calculation from cradle to grave, comparing recycling vs. mining. Circular economy business models — battery-as-a-service (BaaS), leasing, buy-back schemes, deposit-refund systems. Building a battery recycling or second-life startup — market entry strategy, licensing requirements, technology partnerships, and funding landscape. Digital infrastructure for circularity — battery data platforms, AI-driven health prediction, blockchain traceability. Capstone project submission: Participants design a complete end-of-life management plan for a fleet of 500 retired EV batteries — covering collection logistics, SoH grading, second-life deployment, recycling pathways, regulatory compliance (EU + India), and financial modelling with 5-year ROI projections.