Focus on ELVs ramping up in India

A government policy designed to boost the shredding and recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) “is completing the circular economy loop” for vehicles in that nation, a steel and recycling industry executive suggests.

In the current environment, an obsolete vehicle in India can spend some 10 years in storage with some parts harvesting occurring, says Yogesh Bedi, who leads the Steel Recycling business unit of Tata Steel. That firm is operating one of the first large-scale auto shredding plants in India.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by Raipur, India-based SteelMint (part of its Engage webinar series), Bedi indicated some 9 million vehicles stand ready for dismantling and potential shredding in India. By 2025, some 2.8 million additional ELVs per year could be generated, he predicted.

India’s steel industry has traditionally relied on iron ore-fed basic oxygen furnace technology, but Bedi says that landscape can shift. “In this carbon-conscious world where carbon emissions are a big ‘no’ and climate change is of concern, recycling is going to be important,” he told SteelMint. “Any opportunity related to recycling should be considered going forward. Scrap is becoming an important future raw material.”

The government and companies like Tata Steel are envisioning a network of dismantling centers in India, that could each dismantle up to 1,500 vehicles per month, Bedi indicated.

The SteelMint write up on the conversation with accompanying charts, can be found on this web page.