Audi e-tron 55 quattro battery recycling in Haldia, West Bengal
Haldia, West Bengal does not take whole packs. It receives black mass made from Audi e-tron 55 quattro modules that failed grading, and turns it into battery-grade salts.
Pack value at 80% SOH
4,147 USD
Hybrid Split
Second-life share
47%
At 80% SOH
Site capacity
15,000 TPA
Hydrometallurgical Refinery
Cities served
0
From Haldia, West Bengal
Where a Audi e-tron 55 quattro pack goes from Haldia, West Bengal
- 1
Collected via Khordha, Odisha
Whole packs enter the network at Bhubaneswar — Khordha Collection Yard, 331 km away, where they are weighed and de-energised.
- 2
Graded at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh
Modules travel 1,279 km to Indore — Pithampur Grading Plant for capacity, resistance and impedance testing across all 36 modules.
- 3
Second life at Butibori, Maharashtra
At 80% SOH about 47% of the pack qualifies for reuse and goes to Nagpur — Butibori Second-Life Works (956 km). Selective — only low-swell pouch stacks above 82% SOH are cleared for repurposing.
- 4
Refining at Haldia, West Bengal
Black mass from failed modules is leached and refined here into battery-grade nickel, cobalt and lithium salts.
| Stage | Facility | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest intake yard | Bhubaneswar — Khordha Collection Yard | 331 km |
| Nearest grading bench | Indore — Pithampur Grading Plant | 1,279 km |
| Nearest second-life works | Nagpur — Butibori Second-Life Works | 956 km |
Faster option
Inside the Audi e-tron 55 quattro battery
The Audi e-tron 55 quattro (2019) carries a 95 kWh NCA Pouch pack with 36 modules at 396 V, weighing roughly 513 kg. Premium nickel-cobalt pouch stacks with the highest recovery credit and the strictest safety handling class.
| Service year | SOH | Grade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 94.9% | A — BESS ready | USD 5,165 |
| Year 4 | 90.6% | A — BESS ready | USD 4,967 |
| Year 6 | 86.3% | A — BESS ready | USD 4,751 |
| Year 8 | 82% | B — Second life | USD 4,315 |
| Year 10 | 77.7% | B — Second life | USD 3,982 |
What the chemistry means here
How it ages
NCA can deliver long life when it is kept in a moderate state-of-charge window, but it is sensitive to high voltage and heat. Swelling from gas generation is a common retirement signal in pouch formats.
Thermal behaviour
NCA shares the oxygen-release behaviour of high-nickel cathodes and is generally considered among the more reactive EV chemistries. Pouch cells have no rigid can, so mechanical damage and swelling translate quickly into safety risk.
Handling NCA Pouch
Collecting a Audi e-tron 55 quattro pack
95 kWh, 36 modules, about 513 kg — this is how the Haldia, West Bengal team plans the job.
Removal
Packs are dropped on a vehicle lift using the OEM procedure and a rated battery table, then isolated at the service disconnect.
Packaging
One pack per UN-rated pallet box, strapped and restrained, with terminals capped and coolant ports sealed.
Consolidation
Dealer and workshop returns are consolidated into full truckloads, typically eight or more packs per run.
Before the truck arrives
- Pull the service disconnect and record pack voltage
- Drain or cap coolant lines before lifting
- Photograph the pack casing and any impact damage
- Keep the VIN and pack serial together on the manifest
Haldia, West Bengal site notes
- Whole packs are not accepted; send them to a collection or grading site first.
- Black mass must arrive in sealed, labelled bulk bags with declared chemistry.
- Port-linked deliveries need documents lodged before arrival.
- Settlement is based on sampling and assay carried out at intake.
What this pack yields
lithium
5.06 kg
nickel
36.93 kg
cobalt
6.11 kg
manganese
0.6 kg
copper
19.21 kg
aluminium
12.21 kg
Refining-route estimate at 80% SOH. Measured module health on the bench sets the final split.
Rules in India
Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (BWMR)
Regulator: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards
The works operates under West Bengal Pollution Control Board consent, with conditions on effluent treatment, air emissions and hazardous chemical storage. As a registered recycler it generates recovery evidence under the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022, and port shipments follow customs and applicable waste-shipment controls.
Audi e-tron 55 quattro in Haldia, West Bengal: common questions
Can I drop off a Audi e-tron 55 quattro battery at Haldia, West Bengal?
Haldia, West Bengal is a hydrometallurgical refinery and does not accept whole packs from customers. Book a collection and the pack enters the network at Khordha, Odisha, 331 km away.
What happens to Audi e-tron 55 quattro modules after Haldia, West Bengal?
Collected via Khordha, Odisha, then Graded at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, then Second life at Butibori, Maharashtra, then Refining at Haldia, West Bengal. At 80% SOH roughly 47% of the pack goes to second life and the rest is refined.
How should a Audi e-tron 55 quattro pack be prepared for pickup?
Pull the service disconnect and record pack voltage. Drain or cap coolant lines before lifting. Photograph the pack casing and any impact damage. Keep the VIN and pack serial together on the manifest.
Which rules apply to Audi e-tron 55 quattro recycling in India?
Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (BWMR), overseen by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards. Retired packs move as hazardous goods by road under central motor vehicle rules, and export needs Basel-compliant permissions.
Audi e-tron 55 quattro at other sites
Other passenger packs at Haldia, West Bengal
Retiring Audi e-tron 55 quattro packs near Haldia, West Bengal?
Share pack counts and condition. The despatch desk confirms a collection window within one working day and sends the right packaging.