Thailand: Recycling for tomorrow’s e-mobility
© adobe stock / nikomsolftwaer
Electric mobility has gained momentum in Thailand in recent years. Supported by the Thai government’s ambitious targets for 2030 and 2035, an increasing number of electric vehicles are hitting the roads. However, the recycling of lithium-ion batteries is still in its infancy. Appropriate industrial recycling capacities are lacking, as are comprehensive formal take-back schemes for used batteries. Consequently, a large proportion of used batteries have ended up in the informal sector to date, posing risks to the environment, health and safety.
This is the current challenge facing the Thai market. Although the number of electric vehicles is growing, the infrastructure for collecting, processing and recycling their batteries has yet to be established. By 2033, Thailand could accumulate around 200,000 metric tons of used EV batteries, rising to around 2.5 million metric tons by 2043. The next two to three years will be crucial in determining whether the regulatory, institutional and technical prerequisites for a functioning recycling system will be in place in time.
Stable value chains in Thailand
Establishing an infrastructure for recycling electric vehicle batteries would offer Thailand several advantages:
- stable value chains for sustainable mobility;
- greater environmental and health protection;
- the prevention of fire hazards caused by improper handling;
- the creation of a considerable number of well-qualified jobs; and
- a more secure supply of strategic raw materials and reduced dependence on imports of critical primary raw materials.
Coordination as a prerequisite
Establishing a battery circular economy in Thailand involves several ministries and agencies. Regulation, industrial policy, waste management, environmental and occupational safety, as well as education and training, must work together. Sustainable, interagency coordination is therefore essential.
There has already been some recent progress in this area: The Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Promotion Subcommittee is set to coordinate, among other things, the supply chain, standards, and the handling of used batteries. In addition, a central platform has been announced that will track the production, use, disposal, and recycling of batteries. This creates an important foundation for consolidating responsibilities and coordinating the next steps.
Five areas of action for a successful recycling infrastructure
Agora Verkehrswende and Oeko-Institut have outlined how such a system could be developed in a roadmap. It builds on a stakeholder workshop held in Bangkok in March 2026, which brought together around 40 experts from government, research, and industry. The roadmap describes ten milestones across five areas of action from 2026 to 2040.
1. Establishing a regulatory framework and producer responsibility
A key component of a successful recycling infrastructure is a regulatory framework for batteries, including “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR). The roadmap calls for such a system to be in place by 2030. To date, take-back schemes have primarily been in place for non-functional batteries within the warranty period. Under EPR, manufacturers and importers would be required to take responsibility for the collection and proper treatment of used batteries. Orderly collection and transfer to suitable handling and recycling facilities would also significantly reduce the loss of raw materials such as lithium.
This is also economically significant. In Thailand, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are particularly widespread. Their material value is lower than that of batteries containing nickel and cobalt. Professional recycling therefore cannot always be financed solely through the sale of recovered raw materials. An EPR system can help close this financing gap. In Thailand, a draft law on the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has already been proposed, which incorporates the principle of EPR.
2. Strengthening the implementation of regulations
For rules to be effective, they must also be implemented and monitored. This requires adequately resourced authorities, trained personnel, and appropriate technical resources. The roadmap calls for the consistent implementation of the regulatory framework developed for the battery recycling value chain by 2035.
The informal sector, which currently handles a large portion of used batteries, plays a special role in this regard. This sector should be gradually integrated into formal structures. In the future, collection and storage should only be permitted at certified local and regional take-back centres that are easily accessible to customers. This would facilitate the safe return of batteries and create better conditions for monitoring, environmental protection, and occupational safety.
3. Gradually expanding industrial recycling
As the volume of used batteries increases, the potential for a dedicated recycling industry grows. Building this infrastructure requires a very long lead time. This makes it all the more important to start construction as soon as possible. According to the roadmap, the first pilot plants for producing so-called black mass are expected to begin operating by 2030. Black mass is an intermediate product made from crushed battery cells. In the lithium iron phosphate batteries commonly used in Thailand, it contains, among other things, lithium and graphite; in lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) batteries, it also contains nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Manganese is not typically recovered. According to the roadmap, annual black mass production is expected to reach 25,000 to 35,000 metric tons by 2035. By then at the latest, professional processing of black mass into battery-grade intermediate products should also begin in Thailand. This would make raw materials such as lithium available again for battery production. A domestic recycling industry can thus reduce dependence on primary raw materials and create additional industrial value in the country.
4. Promoting education, training, and research and development
New facilities alone are not enough. Qualified specialists are needed for collection, transportation, recycling, and oversight – in workshops and collection centers as well as in government agencies, fire departments, customs, and research institutions.
The roadmap therefore recommends establishing additional programmes of study as well as practical training and continuing education programmes by 2030. This is because training the necessary skilled workers may take longer than building the facilities. By 2035, there should be a sufficient number of specially trained professionals available for permitting and monitoring. By 2040, facilities for the production of black mass alone could require around 1,000 qualified employees; in addition, there would be several thousand jobs at certified collection centres.
5. Designing meaningful second-life applications
Not every battery removed from a vehicle needs to be recycled immediately. In accordance with the waste hierarchy, repair or reuse should be considered first. For example, the battery could be reused as a stationary energy storage system.
However, this requires clear technical requirements and liability rules. As long as it remains unclear who is liable for damages, investors and users bear the risk. The roadmap recommends mandatory testing procedures and standards. By 2035 at the latest, there should be a mandatory testing requirement for all used batteries in accordance with international standards before a decision is made regarding second life or recycling.
Laying the Groundwork in a Timely Manner
The volume of end-of-life drive batteries in Thailand is still manageable, but it will rise considerably from around 2030. If the years ahead are used to simultaneously develop regulations, enforcement, infrastructure, skilled workers, and research, the growing market can evolve into a functioning circular economy.
Dr. Johannes Klinge (née Betz) conducts research on battery recycling. He is a Senior Researcher in the Resources & Transport division at the Darmstadt office.
Kerstin Meyer works on electric mobility and charging infrastructure. She is a project manager at Agora Verkehrswende.
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