Second Acts: How Used Lithium-ion Batteries Can Continue Performing in Your Operations
The end of a lithium-ion battery’s forklift usefulness isn’t the end of the show. In the circular economy, a battery’s lifecycle can have several acts.
Act I – Introduction
As discussed previously, the transition from lead-acid to lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology has a myriad of benefits for the material handling industry. Those benefits include longer lifespans, faster charging, higher energy efficiency, enhanced safety, and less maintenance. But what happens to batteries after the power runs out? Batteries can have a second act for your organization and will continue providing energy in other ways before approaching their final curtain call.
Second-life Applications
The US Advanced Battery Consortium defines the end of a EV’s battery as “the point at which the battery reaches 80 percent of its original rated capacity or 80 percent of its original power capability at 80 percent Depth of Discharge.” That level – established in the 1990s – was to ensure efficiency and safety when operating moving vehicles. However, that’s still a lot of energy available, especially for non-motorized applications. Organizations can use their Battery Management System (BMS) to know when their LIBs have reached this level.
Warehouse backup power, renewable energy storage, and low-demand industrial applications are three areas LIBs can continue to provide function after their forklift application ends. And depending on the second application, that battery could last many more years in this new role. This second act is also advantageous because it keeps older batteries out the waste stream and lowers the need for businesses to buy new batteries for these applications.
Warehouse Backup Power
Second-life LIBs can be grouped together to form a backup power supply for essential warehouse functions during power outages, which will keep your operations on track during inclement weather events or other issues affecting the power grid to the warehouse.
Renewable Energy Storage
If your company uses renewable energy – wind or solar power – second-life LIBs can be used for excess power storage. This excess power can be used when the renewable source is unavailable (cloudy or calm days) or to provide additional power during peak workloads.
Other Industrial Applications
When LIBs reach their end-of-life (EoL), they can still work in “low-speed” vehicles or appliances that don’t require higher power outputs. Golf carts, for example, which may be used by organizations with multiple warehouses and corporate campuses, only require between 3 hp to 8 hp. Second-life batteries can also be used in low-speed forklifts or in stationary equipment.
Considerations for Second Life
You can’t just pop an old battery into a new piece of equipment. There is a process for determining second-life battery functions and safety checks need to be performed. Again, BMS will be the main driver in determining a battery’s health and capacity.
Other second-life considerations for operators include procuring compatible inverters/controllers and a building’s physical layout might need reconfiguration (e.g., if installing a backup system or excess power storage or if removing the ventilation and storage required for lead-acid and fossil fuels). The battery itself may need modification for the new application and the battery’s BMS will need to be recalibrated. Of course, there is a cost for integration, training, and reconfiguration in repurposing batteries, however, it can still be more cost effective in the long run than buying new batteries for these functions.
Recycling – A Final Bow
Recycling is an area of the LIB lifecycle that continues to grow as recycling technology improves. It’s also a necessity because of the limited global supply of the raw materials needed to make LIBs.
The materials in Lithium-ion batteries can be recovered in three ways: Hydrometallurgical (chemical extraction), pyrometallurgical (heat-based extraction by smelting or roasting), and a new process being evaluated called direct cathode recycling (recovery of intact cathodes). Battery recycling is performed at a facility that specializes in LIB material recovery.
Much like recycling consumer electronics, a company sends their expired LIBs either back to the seller, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), or to a recycling facility. Once extracted, the facility can resell these materials back to manufacturers to make new batteries, creating a true circular economy.
The Show Must Go On
As industries worldwide adopt advanced battery technology, the challenges of creating sustainable batteries are being met by the advanced energy industry. The material handling industry – with its large fleets in need of sustainable, cost-effective power sources – is a major driver of the demand for a circular battery economy. Advanced Energy Council members are committed to improving battery second life and recycling technology, not only to provide better energy and cost solutions for their clients, but because they are committed to better energy solutions for the planet.
For more information about the Advanced Energy Council: mhi.org/aec
For further articles from the Advanced Energy Council:
Recalculating: Including Productivity Gains in Total Cost of Ownership
Charging Forward: What’s Next in Advanced Energy
What Is a Battery Passport? A Ticket to Lithium-ion Battery Transparency
ROI of Energy Sources: Automation
Advanced Energy Solutions Deliver ROI
Achieving ROI with Advanced Power Sources
Advanced Power ROI: Efficiency
