Mar 08, 2022 Pageview:487
These days, governments have been promoting electric cars to offset growing shortage of conventional fuel like petrol and diesel. But the question that many have in their mind is what will happen to the used electric lithium-ion batteries that will flood the world! It is important to dispose them safely and the correct way to ensure the environment is not affected by it. Fortunately, scientists have found a way to use electric vehicle batteries to store valuable renewable energy.
Used Electric Car Batteries for Solar Storage
To optimize design, engineers have been researching recycling as well as reusing lithium-ion batteries. This is to diminish significantly its carbon footprint and environmental impact. If used before getting recycled, the lithium-ion EV battery’s carbon footprint is reduced by about 17%. It is possible to repurpose batteries having reduced energy storage capability to store solar and wind energy. Designs are now being focused on sustainability rather than performance.
The question is how to use the used electric vehicle batteries. It is essential to take into consideration the economic and environmental tradeoffs concerning the batteries design, use and recycle nature.
Today’s lithium-ion batteries are found to be designed for performance. They are not meant for second life or recycling purpose. Such batteries generally last about 12 years before it starts to lose its vehicle powering capacity. Currently, very little discussion is noticed on environmental dimensions to enhance battery design to reuse or recycle them.
The fact is that the demand is growing at a rapid pace to break-down lithium-ion EV batteries as well as to extract raw materials within. This is found to outpace supply. With used batteries requiring to be recycled in huge volumes in coming years, this demand is only likely to grow.
Used Electric Car Batteries are Heading to Factories and Farms
Industrial shoppers now have the facility to get used electrical automobile batteries that are repackaged as efficient energy storage methods. This merchandise is capable enough to store renewable energy to be used at distant mines, farms and manufacturing amenities. It also helps to clean out electrical energy peak demand at the EV charging stations. Even utilities can seek them to improve advanced rural grids’ reliability.
The used EV batteries can harness EV packs’ remaining lifespan that usually carries less demanding duties, perhaps for another 7-10 years. This is even after their not being in a position to power vehicles.
By 2050, it is expected that this sector will have storage capacity of 325 gigawatts when compared to 185 gigawatts residential storage market. Rooftop photo voltaic are in huge demand among industrial firms. With reused battery methods prices getting reduced, it will only help to spur quick adoption among diverse industrial customers globally. The objective is to provide merchandise that has 75% lifespan and 50% cheaper. Initially, gross sales are being targeted on New Zealand and Australia. However, potentiality is noticed in Europe, the United States and Asia market.
With used EV batteries likely to grow in number in the coming years, it is seen to be a bonus for industrial and utilities consumers. This is more so for those seeking to enhance their storage functionality. Such batteries increasingly are available for second life purposes to assist distribution networks or asset house owners.
Used Electric Car Batteries Disposal
The fact is lithium-ion EV batteries are in huge demand these days. This is because the world has been trying to cut down conventional fuel usage significantly to protect the environment. The latest trend is to support 100% zero emission car sales. But what will happen to those millions of batteries that will get old in another few years? How will it get disposed safely? Not many countries have EV battery recycling plants to tackle the coming toxic flood!
Majority of the huge used batteries, like the Tesla version is known to weight approximately 900 pounds. They are likely to get stockpiled with hopes of being reused and find purpose in the recycling markets. However, there are chances of such batteries combined with toxic chemicals leaching out, thus causing hazardous waste in landfills.
Unfortunately, not many realize the need to handle responsibly retired (used) batteries. Hence, more education will be desire including an efficient marketplace for re-deploying such batteries to ensure second life application.
Used batteries are being adapted for solar storage, thus extending the batteries life by approximately a decade or even more. This also helps forestall its final dismantling and recycling.
The truth is battery powered vehicles do pose potential toxic consequences that need to be realized. Adequate actions are to be taken immediately to ensure 100% recycle or reuse of lithium-ion batteries at end-of-life.
Overcoming Obstacles
There are noticed several obstacles to recycling and reusing batteries in electric vehicles. The reason is because not much need is noticed to develop used battery regulations and markets. Currently, there is not much issue as the average electric car running on the road is for approximately 12 years. Moreover, they have been gaining traction recently in last 6 years or so. Model X from Tesla was recently launched in 2015 and hence not considered a major issue. Hence, not many batteries have been retired till now.
Unfortunately, the batteries that have already reached their end-of-lives lack proper tracking. Thus, it is quite vague as to how they got disposed. Assumptions are being made that such batteries are stockpiled, perhaps awaiting better economics to avail resale or recycling. Maybe they are used somewhere or become a collection among hobbyists. Many used batteries are found to be repurposed to store electricity like storing solar energy during absence of the sun. Batteries that no longer support powering a vehicle are used for electrical storage for another decade.
However then, it becomes essential to dismantle and recycle batteries sooner or later or dispose them as hazardous waste! Pyrometallurgical smelting process is considered to be a recycling technique used to extract precious minerals present in the battery cathode. However, this process supports extraction of only a small part of desired materials but none of lithium, thus causing carbon emissions. Another process, termed hydrometallurgical chemical leaching seems to be more assuring concerning environmental sensitivity and mineral capture.
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