Recommendations for an improved battery life cycle
Maximise battery recycling efficiency
© plainpicture / Hanka Steidle
Lithium-ion batteries are a basic prerequisite for the expansion of electromobility. In order to keep the associated environmental impacts as low as possible, the service life of these batteries must be maximised and the use of resources minimised. Researchers at Oeko-Institut and their project partners have now developed recommendations for action in this respect in the ‘Battery life cycle - greenBatt use’ project.
Regulatory increase in recycling efficiencies & recovery rates
The EU Battery Regulation (BATT2) specifies recovery rates for cobalt, copper, nickel and lithium. In addition, however, other materials such as graphite, aluminum and manganese should also be recovered and recycling processes adapted flexibly on an ongoing basis in line with changes in battery chemistry in general. A definition of recycling efficiency that distinguishes between cell, module and pack level calculations helps to ensure consistent standards. Uniform battery design can facilitate recycling; it is important, however, that approaches to standardising cell formats do not hinder technological progress.
Digitalisation is an important component in the process; it can contribute to increasing and monitoring the quotas. Legislators should also create a framework for low-risk cooperation between battery manufacturers and recyclers. To this end, it would be conceivable to link the battery passport, which will be mandatory throughout the EU from 2027, with an information platform.
Making information accessible along the value chain
The central stakeholders need relevant information on raw materials as part of the battery, battery production and their use. This includes, for example, data on the structure and state of health of the battery, but also the ageing behaviour of the batteries during initial use. This enables optimised secondary use and improves automated dismantling and recycling. This requires data interfaces between the stakeholders in the battery ecosystem. Definitions of the quality requirements for the material flows are necessary for recycling and the return of raw materials to battery production.
Increasing the service life of batteries & facilitating recycling
From an environmental point of view, the longest possible battery life is desirable. Regulation should therefore promote such a battery design. The standardisation of battery design across different manufacturers is also desirable. Easier, automated battery disassembly requires accessible components and connecting elements so that they can be loosened and removed by robots.
Supporting reuse and repurposing
Information on the reason for the end of the initial use is essential for deciding whether to reuse or repurpose the battery after the initial use has expired and could, for example, be made available as part of the battery passport. Data on the cell chemistry used also allows similar systems to be grouped together – both for reuse and recycling.
Overall system evaluation as a basis for project funding and investments
By using the corresponding merged digital simulations from the battery cluster, the potential of new materials at system level in relevant applications and thus the environmental impact can be estimated very quickly. In future, this could serve not only as a basis for investment decisions, but also for state-funded projects and as a criterion for the allocation of funds.
Overall, it is also important to pay attention to possible conflicts of objectives in the overall system assessment. This is because higher quotas for the use of recyclates in new batteries could mean that a more environmentally sensible secondary use does not take place and the materials go straight into recycling.
The recommendations for action were developed within the ‘Battery life cycle - greenBatt utilisation‘ project as part of the umbrella concept for battery research funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
