Eight projects focus on recycling batteries and components to strengthen domestic supply chains.
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday announced $44.8 million in funding for eight projects recycling electric vehicle batteries and battery components to strengthen domestic supply chains. With the funds, the companies aim to simplify recycling and reduce overall costs by developing new dismantling methods and battery package designs.
According to the DOE, facilitating the reusability of batteries is key to strengthening domestic supply chains as well as reducing pollution. With a ramp-up in electric vehicle sales in recent years, more of them are eventually reaching their end-of-life. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, improperly discarded batteries present a hazard to the environment and human health. In combination with the economic prospects of recovering the critical minerals contained within them, such as lithium or cobalt, battery recycling is becoming increasingly relevant. However, it is a complex and costly process with current methods, a report by consultancy EY argues (PDF). Manual disassembly is almost always required during the process, as there are no standardized battery pack designs. This also hinders the implementation of automation. The consultancy argues that the concept of recycling must begin in the product design stage.
The now-announced funding by the U.S. government seeks to address these issues. Caterpillar, for example, will work on improved battery packages designed that are easier to recycle, while Siemens is exploring automation in the field. General Motors, on the other hand, is researching a de-hazarding system that can be used by recyclers, dealers, and mechanic shops.
German associations in the field highlighted the challenges on the way to large-scale recycling of batteries recently, calling for definitive policies regarding the circularity of batteries. They also argued that recyclability must be embedded in product design to avoid challenges in disassembly and prevent quality losses in the recovered materials.
Photo: iStock/Sven Loeffler