Over 2022, ABRI newsletters discussed growing linkages between OEMs and battery recyclers as OEMs drove their own product stewardship and supply chain security initiatives. This was also reflected in ABRI receiving regular requests from OEMs for introductions to Australian battery recyclers. A great story for the Australian industry.
This newsletter draws together stories on 2023 battery recycling trends which ABRI expects will gain momentum:
- Large scale renewable energy project developers entering battery recycling
- Automotive industry expanding business to grid scale energy storage systems through redirection of ‘spent’ EV batteries
- Information technology and robotics as important as chemistry for underpinning a battery circular economy
- Step changes in battery recycling sustainability
- Expansion of secondary industries to strengthen battery recycling safety and reverse logistics
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1. LARGE SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT DEVELOPERS ENTERING BATTERY RECYCLING |
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Renewable energy project developers and infrastructure investors are bringing their skills and experience to battery recycling as they take the lead on end-of-life battery management:
- Korea Economic Daily reports on SK Ecoplant, a Korean construction engineering company whose strategy is to transition into a clean energy company as it brings its skills from renewable energy project development and battery recycling
- Australia’s Battery Pollution is a start-up battery recycling and technology company. It is supported by the expertise of a related entity, boutique investment banking firm LCC Asia Pacific, which invests in grid scale renewable energy projects. Battery Pollution is advancing research and commercial application for large scale recycling – including the process of taking battery energy storage systems from decommissioning through to recycling.
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2. AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY EXPANDING BUSINESS TO GRID SCALE ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS THROUGH REDIRECTION OF 'SPENT' EV BATTERIES |
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The EV revolution is seeing the automotive sector expand into energy storage systems
- Toyota has developed the SWEEP Energy Storage System. This device supports coordination of multiple EV batteries to supply grid power even where the batteries have differences in deterioration and performance. Toyota reports SWEEP facilitates more efficient AC to DC conversion.
- Nissan Australia has developed an energy storage system using recycled Leaf batteries to power its casting plant.
- IM-Group, an Australian automotive aftermarket specialist and ABRI member, launched (November 2022) a new brand ‘Infinitev’ to repair, reuse and repurpose EV batteries. This builds on an extensive program of working with hybrid batteries from brands such as Toyota, Lexus and Honda.
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3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ROBOTICS AS IMPORTANT AS CHEMISTRY FOR UNDERPINNING A BATTERY CIRCULAR ECONOMY |
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‘New’ technologies such as robotics, AI and digital twins will be as important for a battery circular economy as chemistry.
- Robotics will be critical for underpinning safe and fast dismantling of EV batteries as shown in this research paper Robotic Disassembly of Electric Vehicles’ Battery Modules
- Australia’s Recharge Industries is building a $300 million lithium ion battery “gigafactory” in Geelong, Victoria, targeting 2 GWh of production a year in 2024 and 6 GWh by 2026. This project is using AI (Artificial Intelligence) from Deakin University to look at the entire battery lifecycle to the molecule level to find solutions to supporting a circular economy battery. This will include making sure the batteries can be disposed of and stripped properly at end-of-life and that most of the elements in them can be repurposed and sent back into a new battery.
- The Global Battery Alliance is trialling the battery passport, a digital twin that provides information about sustainability, material and lifecycle data on a battery.
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4. RESEARCH DRIVING A STEP CHANGE IN BATTERY RECYCLING SUSTAINABILITY |
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Battery recycling has a 38% lower carbon footprint than using virgin materials to create batteries according to a study by researchers at Aalto University. However, the race is on to develop the ‘greenest’ battery recycling processes.
- RecycLiCo reports on the development of closed loop hydrometallurgical technologies to recycle batteries to deliver lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide to battery manufacturers. RecycLiCo’s CEO discusses the companies developments and strategic partnerships with Korean companies at HoweStreet.com.
- Volkswagen is leading a research consortium with the goal of keeping cathode metals, electrolyte and graphite permanently in a closed loop.
- Europe’s RecyLIB project is developing low-energy and high efficient manufacturing and recycling processes for lithium-ion batteries. Reuse of recycled electrode material in the production of new lithium-ion batteries is a core pillar of the program.
- Lawrence Berkley Laboratories have developed a new glue making it easier to separate out battery materials at end of life. A battery made with Quick-Release Binder simply needs to be opened, placed in room temperature alkaline water, and gently shaken. The separated elements are easily filtered out of the water and air-dried.
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5. EXPANSION OF SECONDARY INDUSTRIES TO STRENGTHEN BATTERY RECYCLING SAFETY AND REVERSE LOGISTICS |
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As the METS (mining equipment, technology and services) sector has become a critical value add to the mining sector, so will safety and reverse logistics become for the battery recycling sector.
- The European Commission’s Project Cobra looks at a range of emerging technologies to support safe reverse logistics for EV batteries including containers and supply chain logistics. Their market intelligence report profiles 12 technologies, market developments and policies influencing the EV landscape.
- Halo battery boxes were launched in 2022 with layers of Lithium Battery Fire Protection Pillows to reduce the likelihood of a lithium fire occurring during the storage and transportation of lithium batteries.
- Australia’s EV FireSafe researches electric vehicle high voltage battery fires & emergency response, particularly where the EV is connected to energised charging, to inform safe fire management practices for fire agencies. This world-leading research & subject matter expert knowledge is referenced by the Australasian Fire Agencies Council, National Fire Chief’s Council (UK), National Fire Protection Association (US) & various EV manufacturers.
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6. JOIN ABRI AND BE PART OF THE AUSTRALIAN BATTERY RECYCLING INDUSTRY |
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Join ABRI for a range of benefits and insights into Australia’s rapidly growing battery recycling and reuse industry:
- Workshops – Presentations and policy discussions from leading industry players and research institutions
- Policy and advocacy – working with governments on a national waste tracking system
- News – member bulletins on key regulatory and other events, general bulletins on industry news
- Networking – opportunities to meet with companies across the battery supply chain to create industry wide opportunities
- Collaboration with Australian Battery Industry Association on industry issues e.g. lithium ion battery safety
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