Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market

Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market Analysis

The Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market size is estimated at USD 19.26 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 24.17 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.65% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

• Over the medium term, increasing usage of new lead-acid batteries produced from battery scrap in small-scale power storage such as UPS systems, starting lighting, and ignition power sources for automobiles, along with large, grid-scale power systems, are expected to drive the growth of the market.
• On the other note, higher costs, lack of a strong supply chain, and low yield related to lead acid battery scrap are expected to hinder market growth in the coming years.
• Technological innovations in lead acid battery scrap collection and increasing global environmental concerns for lead acid battery recycling will provide significant opportunities for market growth.

Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market Trends

Flooded Batteries to Dominate the Market

• Flooded batteries are widely used in automobiles, stationary (large) uninterrupted power supplies, and stand-alone energy systems. Also known as vented lead-acid (VLA) batteries, they consist of a negative (sponge lead) and a positive lead dioxide (PbO2) terminal on the top/side, along with the covering of vent caps on their top.
• According to the International Energy Agency Electric Vehicle Outlook Report, more than 13.3 million electric cars (BEV and PHEV) were sold worldwide in 2023, and sales are expected to grow by another 35% in 2024 to reach 17 million. This significant growth in electric cars' share of the overall car market rose from around 4% in 2020 to 18% in 2023. The rise in electric vehicles is expected to give impetus to the flooded battery scrap market since these batteries can be reused to produce new batteries or other products.
• Moreover, recent advancements in flooded lead-acid battery technology, such as enhanced flooded batteries (EFB), have demonstrated to achieve equivalent cycle life as absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries at a high battery weight (2-3 kg above SLI) but significantly lower cost. EFB technology employs the addition of carbon additives in lead plate manufacturing to improve charged acceptance capability and increase cyclic durability in a reduced state of charge operation (ignition applications).
• According to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, 94 million motor vehicles were produced worldwide in 2023. The increase in automobile sales will, in turn, require lead acid batteries and drive the growth of the market.
• Therefore, government initiatives to boost battery scrap activities, growing lead acid battery utilization for electric vehicles, and energy storage systems are anticipated to drive the usage of flooded batteries during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market

• In Asia-Pacific, countries like China and India are home to the world's largest market for the automobile industry in terms of automotive production and sales. China's share of global vehicle production has been rising for over a decade. Its share in 2023 increased nearly 1.8 times over 2008.
• Regional lead acid battery players such as Duracell Inc., CATL, Exide Industries Ltd, and Amara Raja Energy are focusing on increasing the viability and efficiency of their solar energy lead acid battery portfolios by offering products within the 2-volt to 12-volt battery range, primarily with low maintenance. These batteries are intrinsically suited for regular deep cyclic duty and are primarily designed for arduous solar photovoltaic (SPV) applications.
• Moreover, in 2023, the total production volume of vehicles in India was around 25.93 million units, an increase from the previous year. On the other hand, total passenger vehicle sales increased from 2,711,457 to 3,069,499 units.
• Also, India aims for 30% of all vehicle sales to be electric by 2030. To encourage the growth of charging stations, the Indian government has launched several schemes, such as subsidies and grants, to incentivize alternative fuel infrastructure development. The Chinese government aims to reach peak emissions by 2030 and have new electric vehicles account for 40% of cars on the road. The growing electric vehicle penetration in China and India will, in turn, create avenues for growth in the usage of lead acid batteries and may facilitate the development of the battery scrap market since these batteries can be reused to produce new batteries or other products.
• Also, in January 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of India released the standard operating procedure for recycling lead scrap/used lead acid batteries. The SOP aims to regulate the import, transport, and recycling of lead-bearing waste while minimizing environmental and health risks.
• Owing to the above points, the growing use of lead acid batteries for electric vehicles in Asia-Pacific will create avenues for the growth of the lead acid battery scrap market during the forecast period.

Lead Acid Battery Scrap Industry Overview

The lead acid battery scrap market is semi-fragmented. Some of the major companies operating in the market (in particular order) include Gravita India Ltd, Enersys, Exide Industries Ltd, Aqua Metals Inc., and Duracell Inc.

Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market Leaders

Lead Acid Battery Scrap Market News

• December 2023: Toyota and Criba Solution partnered to expand the recycling network, involving the gathering, storing, examining, and handling of batteries to support the growing electric vehicle (EV) industry. The aim was to reduce Toyota's transportation and logistics costs for used batteries by 70% while also cutting down on emissions related to transportation. Additionally, this process is expected to recover up to 95% of essential minerals.
• January 2023: ACE Green Recycling (ACE) and Glencore PLC (GLEN) signed a long-term supply agreement for the recycled key and lead battery metal-based end products from recycled lithium-ion batteries. This strategic partnership helps establish a circular supply chain for these high-demand materials on a global scale while minimizing their environmental footprint.