China Removes 100 Battery Cascade Utilization Companies from Whitelist: Industry Moves Toward New Standards

On July 30, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) removed 100 lithium battery cascade utilization companies from the whitelist under the New Energy Vehicle Waste Power Battery Comprehensive Utilization Industry Standard Conditions. This article analyzes the policy changes and future compliance planning for battery recycling projects.

Em July 30, 2026, o Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China issued an announcement regarding the adjustment and cancellation of certain policies and standards related to the cascade utilization of retired new energy vehicle power batteries.

According to statistics from industry media “Battery Recycling Industry Network”, since 2018, a total of 100 cascade utilization companies have lost their qualification as approved companies under China’s New Energy Vehicle Waste Power Battery Comprehensive Utilization Industry Standard Conditions.

Para battery recycling project investors, EPC contractors, and industrial investors, this adjustment is not only an administrative change, but also indicates that the industry is moving from rapid expansion toward a new stage focusing on compliance verification, technical capabilities, and full-process management.

Índice

What Has Changed in the July 30 Announcement?

According to industry reports summarizing MIIT announcements from August 2018 to 2026:

From 2018 to 2026, China announced five batches of qualified companies under the New Energy Vehicle Waste Power Battery Comprehensive Utilization Industry Standard Conditions, covering a total of 163 companies.

The first batch of five companies announced in 2018 did not clearly distinguish between cascade utilization and recycling utilization, so they are not included in this adjustment.

O 100 companies removed this time all belong to the cascade utilization category.

As of July 31, 2026, 63 companies remain on the approved list (including the initial five companies and 58 companies from subsequent batches).

battery_recycling_companies_english_under

This policy adjustment mainly focuses on:

Cascade Utilization

This refers to processing retired power batteries through testing and screening, then applying them in areas such as:

Sistemas de armazenamento de energia
Low-speed electric vehicles
Backup power supplies

Instead of directly dismantling batteries to recover valuable metals.

This adjustment does não target:

Recycling Utilization

This refers to recovering valuable metals through processes such as hydrometallurgy, incluindo:

Níquel
Cobalto
Lítio
Manganês

and other resources.

Why Is the Lithium Battery Recycling Whitelist Becoming Stricter?

Industry experts believe this adjustment represents a further step toward standardization and regulation of the battery recycling industry.

With the rapid growth of new energy vehicles, the volume of retired power batteries continues to increase, leading to rapid expansion in the number of cascade utilization companies.

However, secondary utilization of retired batteries requires strong capabilities, including:

Accurate battery testing
Cell screening capability
Safety management systems
Complete material traceability systems

During rapid expansion, some companies may have experienced issues such as:

Insufficient technical capabilities
Incomplete safety management
Weak production processes
Limited traceability systems

Therefore, regulatory authorities are increasing requirements for industry access and compliance.

For project investors:

The future competition in the battery recycling industry will shift from simply “obtaining qualifications” to having real engineering capabilities and stable operational performance.

It is worth noting that some of the cascade utilization companies affected by this adjustment are also long-term customers served by TYIC.

As the lithium battery recycling industry continues to develop, companies are expanding their project scale, processing capacity, and technical requirements. Higher regulatory standards are also encouraging enterprises to focus more on:

Process optimization
Equipment reliability
Sistemas de proteção ambiental

As a provider of hydrometallurgical process design, non-ferrous metal recovery, lithium battery recycling, and environmental treatment solutions, TYIC continuously follows industry policy changes and technological development trends, optimizing equipment and technical solutions to provide recycling solutions that meet future industry requirements.

What Does This Mean for New Battery Recycling Project Planning?

For projects involving retired lithium battery treatment, three key areas should receive special attention:

1. The Importance of Process Planning Documents Is Increasing

Future compliance evaluations will focus more on:

Whether the process design is reasonable
Whether environmental protection systems are complete
Whether material flows are clearly defined
Whether final products can be traced

Projects should not only focus on company qualification applications but also complete comprehensive technical planning before construction.

2. Environmental Protection Systems Must Be Included in Core Design

Environmental protection equipment should not be considered as a later-stage addition.

During the initial design phase, projects should consider:

Sistemas de tratamento de gases residuais
Sistemas de tratamento de águas residuais
Acid mist absorption systems
VOC treatment systems

Many projects face difficulties during later modifications because environmental systems were not sufficiently considered during the initial design stage.

3. Raw Material and Product Traceability Systems Need Early Planning

A compliant recycling production line should include:

Battery classification
Raw material inspection
Sampling and analysis
Intermediate product management
Product traceability

These factors not only affect regulatory approval but also influence future customer procurement decisions.

Battery Recycling Process and Equipment Considerations

Um típico retired lithium battery recycling project using hydrometallurgical technology includes:

Battery discharge and dismantling
Crushing and separation
Lixiviação
Purificação
Extraction or precipitation
Recovery of metal intermediate products
Leaching and reaction equipment

Equipment material selection should be determined according to actual operating conditions, including:

Acid and alkaline media type
Concentração
Temperatura
Corrosion environment

Equipment selection should not simply rely on general material standards.

Equipamento de extração

Common equipment includes:

Misturador Decantador
Tubular Extractor

Equipment selection depends on:

Raw material composition
Processing capacity
Available plant space
Oil removal and impurity control requirements

Oil removal systems can help protect downstream extraction processes.

Common solutions include:

Resin-based oil removal
Dissolved air flotation (DAF) systems
Environmental treatment equipment

Environmental Treatment Equipment

Main systems include:

Acid mist absorption towers
VOC absorption and regeneration systems
Sistemas de tratamento de águas residuais
Anti-corrosion equipment structures

Common materials include:

PPH
PEAD
PVC
FRP
Steel-lined equipment

Material selection should be designed according to specific process conditions.

TYIC’s Position in Lithium Battery Recycling

Hangzhou Tianyicheng New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (TYIC) was established in 1997 and was listed on China’s New Third Board in 2017 with stock code 871858.

TYIC focuses on:

Hydrometallurgical process design
Non-ferrous metal resource recovery
Lithium battery recycling solutions
Environmental treatment solutions

The company’s business covers:

Waste lithium battery recycling
Nickel-cobalt intermediate product recovery
Purificação de metais
Tratamento de águas residuais
Waste gas treatment

A TYIC fornece integrated services from process design to project implementation, incluindo:

Process route selection
Engineering design
Customized equipment manufacturing
Automation control systems
Instalação e colocação em funcionamento
Formação de operadores

Main equipment includes:

Mixer Settlers
Tubular Mixing Extraction Equipment
Leaching Tanks
Reaction Tanks
PPH/HDPE Anti-corrosion Equipment
Oil Removal Systems
Acid Mist Absorption Towers
Waste Gas Treatment Systems

As the global lithium battery recycling industry moves toward a more standardized development stage, TYIC will continue improving its technical capabilities and engineering services, working together with industry partners and customers worldwide to explore new technologies and solutions for resource recycling.