STORAGE
ENERGY STORAGE IN 2022 Challenges and Opportunities
Energy storage technologies are undergoing a challenging transformation, vital in an emerging climate that necessitates renewable energies and recyclable hardware. BY IDTechEx RESEARCH
LITHIUM-ION AND MATERIAL DEMAND
LITHIUM-ION RECYCLING
Recycling offers a partial solution to both the sustainability and supply chain issues faced by the Li-ion industry by providing a degree of circularity – materials from waste and end-of-life batteries can be extracted and refined to be re-used in cell and battery manufacturing. This can have several beneficial impacts. It can diversify material supplies, helping to reduce reliance on any single country or region. Environmentally, Li-ion recycling, especially via hydrometallurgical or direct recycling routes, is expected to reduce the total energy requirements of producing a cell, compared to using virgin materials. Other emissions, including suphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulates, in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), are also expected
IDTechEx
Demand for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is forecast to undergo rapid growth over the next 10 years, driven primarily by the electrification of transport. This will involve growth in demand for battery-electric cars, but also for a wide spectrum of vehicle types and segments, and it is these non-car segments that many pack manufacturers will be targeting. While lithium-ion will continue to remain the dominant technology in electric vehicles, the fears of potential bottlenecks to the supply of certain critical materials, such as lithium, nickel or graphite, may ultimately limit the rate of EV uptake. Concerns also exist over the environmental impact and sustainability of Li-ion production.
Mine Refinery Battery manufacturer Recycler Landfill (various locations) Without recycling, valuable critical metals will go to landfill creating both waste and safety hazards.
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