Electric vehicles, smartphones, tools: the number of Lithium batteries Is constantly increasing in our daily lives.
This Battery Boom Inevitably Raises Questions About Their Sustainably And Their environmental impact.
To enlighten our thinking, let's explore the different stages of Lithium battery life cycle, of the Manufacturing At Retraining, including remanufacturing And the reassignment.
Several steps mark out the Manufacture of a lithium battery:
La First Life of a Lithium Battery Starts when it is put into service, for example for an electric bike. The battery then provides the energy necessary for the operation of the device. This phase lasts as long as the battery remains efficient and adapted to its use.
For moderate daily use, lithium-ion batteries achieve on average between 300 and 500 charge cycles. Namely, a cycle represents a complete charge and discharge for a given device. On the other hand, for optimized use and under ideal conditions of use, its lifespan can reach up to 1,000 charge and discharge cycles.
La End of This First Life Intervenes when the battery can no longer meet the performance criteria for its function. It Can Then Be Removed To Be remanufactured, repurposed, or recycled.
The Battery May Experience a Second Life Thanks to Remanufacture And at the reassignment of its components for new, less demanding uses. For example, an electric vehicle battery could be used for stationary energy storage.
Les Remanufactured batteries Are not second-hand products: they offer the same quality, performance and specifications as new batteries.
When the battery is no longer functional or useful for a new use, it enters its final phase: recycling.
This destructive step consists in recovering certain materials that compose it. This process shuts down the battery life cycle by contributing to The circular economy and by reducing the extraction of new resources.
The end of life of lithium batteries represents a real challenge because of the environmental impact caused by their production. Fortunately, several solutions exist to valorize them and extend their lifespan.
The Retraining Makes it possible to valorize lithium batteries by recovering and reusing its materials to manufacture new products. However, This operation is value destructive: The batteries are ground and made into powder called Black Mass by hydrometallurgical processes. The extracted metals are then reusable in the refining of new cells.
Recycling is therefore a necessary step, but it should not happen too early.
Indeed, there are other ways to extend the life of batteries by the way: repair, reconditioning, remanufacturing and repurposing.
In the event of a battery failure, a repair is often possible by replacing electrical connectors or the electronic card. This solution makes it possible to extend its lifespan.
As for repackaging, it consists in putting batteries returned to their supplier back into circulation in order to extend their lifespan. These may be faulty batteries under warranty, or new, unused equipment.
The process of reconditioning a battery may require diagnostic testing, cleaning, and sometimes the replacement of some faulty components, such as cells. Les Reconditioned batteries are rigorously checked to ensure reliable operation. Some of them even have a guarantee.
Opting for reconditioned batteries is an economical and more ecological solution, which allows the battery to be rehabilitated on its original application.
La Remanufacture Consists in reusing the cells of a battery in order to manufacture one equivalent to the new one for a new use. For example, it is possible to remanufacture the cells of an electric scooter battery to manufacture a lighting battery, with less demanding performances.
Unlike reconditioning, which refurbishes a battery for the same use, remanufacturing reassigns cells into new batteries for other applications. These new batteries are certified according to current standards before being marketed, which is not the case for reconditioned batteries.
VoltR practices remanufacturing by manufacturing batteries that meet the same requirements and with the same levels of performance as conventional batteries, while reducing their carbon footprint through the use of second-life cells.
The remanufacture of batteries is based on Cell reassignment.
For example, a battery cell designed for an electric vehicle can be repurposed for stationary energy storage in buildings. This technology makes it possible to keep electricity in a fixed place, often for Store Energy produced by renewable sources such as solar panels. The stored energy can then be used during peak demand or when renewable energy production is low.
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The Lithium battery recycling Should only come at the very end of their life, when they can no longer be repaired, reconditioned, remanufactured and reassigned. This step therefore occurs when the durability of the battery can't be longer improved.
Raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel are then extracted to be reused. While giving batteries a second life makes it possible to recover 100% of their functional components, only some of the materials are reusable during the recycling phase.
Lithium battery recycling Allows you to Complete the circular economy cycle, by reducing dependence on natural resources and by limiting the environmental impact of mining.
Maximizing the lifespan of lithium batteries is essential both for environmental reasons and for strengthening a country's energy sovereignty. These challenges are becoming more and more critical as the use of batteries becomes more widespread, especially in the sectors of electric mobility, renewable energy storage and electronics, and as we become dependent on supplies.
Therefore, Eco-design battery represents a major challenge for their life cycle. Manufacturers must make sure to facilitate their repairability and revalorization in a second life by designing batteries that are easy to dismantle.
La Lithium-ion battery production Requires the exploitation of natural resources. These processes have devastating effects on the environment: deforestation, soil and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Extending the life of the batteries makes it possible to reduce the frequency of these extractions. This system also promotes the circular economy, as materials are reintroduced into the production cycle without requiring new resources.
The environmental impact of manufacturing a new lithium battery is significant: an average of 150 kg of CO2e per kW are emitted during its production, not including the extraction of resources.
The Mission of VoltR Is of Give Batteries a Second Life before their recycling phase to exploit their full potential and contribute to a circular economy. This solution allows VoltR to manufacture batteries with a lower environmental impact compared to a conventional battery.
Batteries play a very important role in energy transition.
Maximizing their lifespan helps to reduce dependence on imported raw materials and international supply chains. Namely, more than 90% of the batteries placed on the market in Europe are of Asian origin.
VoltR to the relocation of part of the lithium battery supply on European territory by managing the entire value chain: from the collection to the manufacture of French batteries.
Are you looking for Batteries made in France, at competitive prices and while limiting their environmental impact?
Discover the lithium batteries eco-designed by VoltR.
