Dubai: Announced at the World Future Energy Summit, held on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the partnership will establish the UAE’s first large-scale facility dedicated to electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling and second-life repurposing. The project marks a significant milestone in the country’s drive to build a sustainable EV ecosystem and reduce the environmental impact of end-of-life batteries.
The facility will be located within BEEAH’s integrated Waste Management Complex in Al Saja’a, Sharjah, and will be equipped to recycle and repurpose EV batteries as well as other lithium-ion batteries. The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration between BEEAH and LOHUM and aligns closely with the UAE’s broader circular economy strategy.
Operations are set to begin in 2026, with an initial processing capacity of 1,500 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually. By the third year of operation, the plant is expected to double its processing capacity, supporting the growing volume of EV batteries entering the market.
Through integration with a dedicated software platform, the joint venture will offer end-to-end traceability—from the collection and tagging of end-of-life batteries to their recycling and repurposing. This will enable producers to remain compliant with regulations, participate in buyback programmes and actively contribute to a closed-loop battery ecosystem.
Officials said the project represents a key pillar in the UAE’s national roadmap to position the country as a global hub for electric vehicles, with a target of 50 per cent of vehicles on UAE roads being electric by 2050. The initiative is also expected to reduce transport sector emissions, strengthen local industrial capabilities and enhance supply chain resilience for critical battery materials.
For BEEAH, the project reinforces its long-term sustainability vision. Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO and Vice Chairman of BEEAH, said the facility demonstrates how circularity can unlock value across future-critical industries, while supporting Sharjah’s zero-waste goals and reducing reliance on landfills as EV adoption accelerates.
The plant will follow a full-circle recycling approach, beginning with the repurposing of used EV batteries for second-life applications such as energy storage systems. Batteries that can no longer be reused will be safely dismantled, with valuable materials recovered using LOHUM’s patented NEETM technology.
This process allows for the extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite, which can be reintegrated into the supply chain rather than being landfilled or sourced internationally. Studies show that prioritising reuse before recycling significantly reduces the carbon and resource footprint associated with battery production and disposal.
Sachin Maheshwari, Chief Corporate Development Officer at LOHUM, said the expanded collaboration aims to build a world-class facility that maximises the useful life of lithium-ion batteries, achieves zero-waste efficiency and accelerates the global transition to clean energy, while firmly anchoring the UAE’s role as a regional leader in sustainable technologies.