A. Baby, J.R. Elias, Q. Dai, J.S. Spangenberger
Argonne National Laboratory,
United States
Keywords: vanadium redox flow battery, lithium-ion battery, sodium-ion battery, recycling, end-of-life, decommissioning
Summary:
Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are critical components in the decarbonization of the energy sector by enabling a more extensive use of renewable energy technologies. From conventional lead-acid batteries to advanced flow-battery systems, BESSs span a wide range of chemistries and expected operational lifetimes. Thus, there are multiple simultaneous considerations at their end-of-life (EOL). Retrieving and reusing the materials and components used in BESSs is pivotal to advancing the existing recycling strategies to develop EOL materials into a robust secondary raw-material stream. Our work aims to build a user-friendly tool named EverBESS to assess the impacts of EOL management of various BESSs and design sustainable strategies to maximize material recovery and economic viability while minimizing environmental impact associated with decommissioning, logistics, and recycling. Among BESSs, our work primarily focuses on three chemistries- lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs), and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) for the proactive design of EOL management strategies. LIBs account for over 90% of batteries used in BESSs, and their recycling is of paramount importance because they contain significant amounts of critical materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. Retrieving these from EOL materials can alleviate the increasing pressure on existing supply chains. VRFBs are promising for long-duration energy storage. They present an EOL value from the large quantities of vanadium embodied which may potentially even offset the cost of dismantling and recycling the BESS components post decommissioning. SIBs are increasingly being viewed as viable alternatives for LIBs as they decrease the U.S. dependence on critical materials, especially for large-scale energy storage. However, the absence of critical materials which often constitute an important revenue stream poses challenges to SIB recycling in terms of net costs. Here, we present a case study in which we use EverBESS to examine the cost and greenhouse gas emissions of EOL management of LIBs vs. VRFBs, identify major contributors and propose opportunities for improvement, and inform design-for-recycling and circular supply chain initiatives for BESSs. We also discuss existing knowledge gaps and our future research for sustainable EOL management of SIBs.