Powering Up: Unveiling the Three Dimensions of the Ultimate Green Battery
Let’s unleash the power of green batteries. What does it take? Sustainable materials, optimized usage, and digital innovation! Here are the three dimensions of a green battery you should know about.
The battery industry is undergoing a significant shift towards a more sustainable and green approach. This shift is driven by growing concern about the environmental impact of batteries and the need for a more efficient and cleaner energy storage solution. To meet these challenges, the concept of a green battery has emerged. This concept focuses on reducing the environmental impact of batteries throughout their lifecycle. A green battery can be defined as a battery that is designed and manufactured using sustainable materials and supply chains, optimized for its specific use, and integrated with digital technologies to improve its efficiency and reduce waste.
Let’s explore the three dimensions of a green battery:
1. Material selection and supply chains
The first dimension of a green battery is the choice of materials and supply chains. Traditional batteries rely on toxic and non-renewable materials such as cobalt, nickel and lithium for their production. The extraction and processing of these materials can have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, a green battery should be designed using sustainable materials. In the future, these will include a high amount of recycled metals, organic polymers, and biodegradable materials.
When it comes to materials, it is the holistic view that counts. One example is lithium. Lithium is traditionally extracted from salt. But it can also be extracted from ore. The key question in the first case is: What is the environmental impact of the extraction? The key question in the second case: Where does the energy come from? Recently, a third method has come into play: geothermal lithium mining. In this case, the process works like this: Lithium-rich brine is pumped directly from geothermal wells to the surface in geothermal plants. The heat carried by the brine is then used to produce renewable energy. The brine, minus the lithium, is then injected back into the well. Sounds good? Well, even in these cases, the environmental impact needs to be discussed.
In addition, the supply chains of these materials should be considered to ensure that they come from ethical and sustainable sources. This includes tracing the origin of the materials, ensuring fair labor practices, and minimizing the environmental impact of the supply chain. There’s a big opportunity for the battery industry in Europe when it comes to the supply chain. At the same time, considering second-life applications from the outset can significantly extend the life of a battery, resulting in a more efficient use of materials.
2. Specific use: High performance and sustainability are not mutually exclusive
The second dimension of a green battery is its specific use. The performance and efficiency of a battery depends on its design, chemistry, and application. Therefore, a green battery should be optimized for its specific use to maximize its efficiency and reduce waste. For example, batteries used in electric vehicles should have high energy density, fast charging, and long life to reduce the need for frequent replacement and disposal. Similarly, batteries used in renewable energy storage systems should have high cycle stability, low self-discharge, and high safety to maximize their lifespan and reduce their environmental impact. At the same time, considering second-life applications can significantly extend the life of a battery. For example, the flight battery may no longer meet the high requirements of the aviation industry after a few thousand charging cycles. However, there are many other areas of application in which the battery can continue to perform excellently with slightly reduced power. This goes hand in hand with the next aspect: digitization.
3. Digitization: It’s More Than Tinker Bell’s Powder
The third dimension of a green battery is digitalization. And yes, today, everybody is talking about digitization, and sometimes it sounds like some kind of magic powder from Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell. But in the battery industry it’s different. Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things can be integrated into batteries to increase their efficiency and reduce waste. For example, smart batteries can be designed to monitor their performance, predict their lifespan, and optimize their charge and discharge cycles. This can help reduce energy waste, extend battery life, and reduce the need for frequent replacement. But digital technologies will also help to optimize production. Thus, the interaction between data from real-life use and production enables conclusions to be drawn about optimized design and can thus lead to more efficient use of resources.
In summary, the concept of a green battery is a critical step towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly battery industry. We have already mentioned how lithium-ion batteries fill an important gap in a future green economy.
By focusing on the three dimensions of material and supply chain selection, specific use, and digitization, we can design and manufacture batteries that have minimal environmental impact and maximize their efficiency and performance. The shift to green batteries will not only benefit the environment, but also contribute to the development of a more sustainable energy system.
Master of Batteries is a publication by CustomCells, one of the leading companies in the development and series production of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery cells.
