Recycling Electric Vehicle Lithium-Ion Batteries
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Introduction to Electric Vehicle and Recycling Challenges
The electric vehicle industry and the market has seen rapid evolution and growth over the last decade. At the end of 2019, there were approximately 4.8 million battery-based electric vehicles in use around the world (Curry, 2017). Of this, about 1.5 million got added to the global fleet in 2019. Tougher environmental protection regulations and favorable government policies are among the key factors that have been contributing to the increasing global acceptance of electric vehicles (EV) (Krauss, 2019). Transportation accounts for around thirty percent (30%) of the total greenhouse (CO2) emission into the atmosphere. Electric Mobility has been noted as one of the solutions to this problem since it is proven to be greener and significantly more eco-friendly compared to thermal transport (vehicles) currently in mass use. This has increased the popularity of electric vehicles over the last decades as people have become more aware of the environmental impact of their personal purchases and are now looking to minimize their carbon footprint. The EV offers a solution to this personal dilemma (Dijk et al., 2013).
. Globally, governments are also supporting the electric mobility revolution through favorable registrations, tax rebates, subsidies, and non-financial benefits such as free charging stations. Industry experts project sustained growth and acceptance of EV and the outcome will be wider adoption that will see sales reach 44 million units per year as of 2030. While this disruptive technology has a net positive impact on the planet through helping with climate change management it also has a major drawback. Electromobility comes with waste traction batteries and this is a major concern. Based on the warranty being offered by most manufacturers the lithium-ion batteries used in EVs are estimated to have an eight (8) years or 100,000-mile lifespan after which they become another major hazardous waste. This makes the batteries a major concern for all stakeholders and recycling is one of the options being considered to fully make electromobility technologies greener and more eco-friendly compared to fossil fuel-based transportation (Scrosati et al., 2015). Recycling of waste traction batteries is currently faced by major challenges such as the lack of necessary legislative framework and logistic plans. However, despite all the limitations recycling still stands as the best way of handling the waste traction batteries. Since there are no large scale lithium-ion battery recycling operations, currently a large percentage of pilot semi-industrial recycling processes are focused on the recovery of the core metals from the waste traction batteries. (Goonan, 2012). The recycling processes are aimed at recovery cobalt, nickel, and copper since they are high-value metals components used in manufacturing the battery (Watanabe, 1951) & (Granata et al., 2012). This paper explores the economic, technical, and environmental aspects of recycling lithium-ion batteries used in electromobility.
Economic Aspect of Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries
The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that EVs will account for between 15% and 30% of automobile sales in 2030. This projection makes this sub-sector of the auto industry important and as such gives the issue of recycling the waste traction batteries added weight. From an economic point of view currently, recycling has its benefits and disadvantages, however, it is not feasible since the limitations of the process drain all the value from it. One of the primary benefits of recycling the batteries is its strategic nature in that it allows companies and countries to recover important mineral resources which can be re-injected directly into local industries. When recycling is done at a large scale a considerable volume of mineral resources can be obtained and once re-injected into local industries the recycling can promote economic growth through increased industrial production and employment (Patel and Gaines, 2016) & (Vikström et al., 2013). However, the current global EV use, sales volume, and the fact that a large percentage of the automobiles are far from their eight years expected lifespan, recycling is not feasible. This is because recycling operations on the batteries would not result in the recovery of a volume of minerals that would be significant enough to support the continuation of the process. The low volume of battery-based electric vehicles in the country and region as a whole kills the feasibility of recycling since it makes such an operation economically unviable (Pagliaro & Meneguzzo, 2019) & (Peiró et al., 2013).
Currently, the high volatility in the prices of some of the key raw materials used in lithium-ion batteries is a major disadvantage for the recycling business. The high volatility in prices of key metals is not appealing since it introduces a lot of financial risk into the recycling business and makes the investment returns uncertain. Good investments are those that come with given price stability levels that allow businesses to project possible earnings. This means that a business can expect only a small deviation on its actual earning in relation to the projected earnings. High volatility has been noted in the prices of cobalt, one of the metals that the recycling process aims to recover. Between 2016 and early 2018 the prices of Cobalt experienced an unprecedented growth that saw it hit a 10-year high of around $95,000 per metric ton (Desai, 2019). This rally was a result of the metals used in cobalt hydroxide which is used to make the sulfates for lithium-ion batteries’ cathode components. The bullish sentiments were attributed to analysts’ projections that the EV industry would have an outstanding year and that the car type would see major increases in sales volume. This was expected to increase the demand for cobalt, a critical raw material in the manufacture of the battery. According to Desai (2019), this was not the case and the extra supply in the market combined with other fundamental factors caused the metal’s value to plummet leading to approximately seventy percent (70%) loss in value in the period following March 2018. It would later regain its lost value but not to the previous high of $95,000 per metric ton. The high volatility of Cobalt prices can be observed in the price chart below. Such price movements are a show of how risky investing in recycling the metals can be since the price might drop once mined. This combined with the fact that a recycling venture into this category of products is capital intensive makes investing very unattractive to any profit-seeking investor around the world.
Cobalt price volatility chart
Technical Aspect of Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries
On the technical side of recycling lithium-ion batteries, there are several issues that are likely to hamper the process from taking off. Key among them is the lack of standardization of lithium-ion batteries designs and raw materials used in their manufacture. At the moment there is no industrial standard design for traction batteries used in EVs. This means that each auto manufacturer is using a different design of battery in their vehicle and as such designing an automated recycling approach is almost impossible (Harper et al., 2019). The lack of standardization creates a knowledge gap that makes creating a universal recycling approach impossible. For standardization to help in developing efficient recycling it needs to be more than just on the design but also includes other aspects like the composition of raw materials used in the manufacture of the batteries. Consequently, this means that as things stand in the EV industry no efficient and effective recycling of batteries can be done without technical accidents and major losses.
Another major technical issue hampering the recycling of batteries in the EV industry is the fact that major changes in the design and material compositions of the lithium-ion are to be expected over the next few years and into the coming decades. This is because the electronic vehicle industry is relatively young and as such rapid innovation and inventions are to be expected in the coming years. This can be taken as an accurate forecast since a look at the accounting books of all companies in the industry shows major budgetary allocations in the research and development departments. Such budget allocations to research and development by all players’, means that innovations and invention on new and better technologies and techniques are to be expected. This complicates things since creating a recycling route based on the current design can result in major losses as a result of a change in the design and or raw material compositions of the lithium-ion battery. A good example of this is the growing use of nickel instead of cobalt in the cathode components of the battery. While this is just a minor change in the raw material compositions of the battery a company that had developed an industrial scale recycling approach would have to undergo extensive and expensive remodeling of their processes to accommodate the change. For this reason, the expected changes in the design and material compositions of the lithium-ion is a major hindrance on recycling operations.
Other major technical issues hampering recycling of batteries are facts that their actual life span is not accurately known and their adaptability to recycling processes is not established. The life span of EV lithium-ion batteries is estimated to be between 15 and 20 years. However, this is a theoretical estimation since none has been in use for that long, and such it is a wait and seething. This is further complicated by the proven fact that the durability of electronic components is subject to other factors that are not limited to environmental conditions, user care of an electronic, level or degree of use, and the maintenance and serving done during use. With this in mind, it will be hard to put a number on the actual life span of EV lithium-ion batteries. Consequently, this will cause delays in the development of recycling technologies for the batteries. It is also important to note that up to know the adaptability of the batteries to a recycling process is yet to be established. Over the last few decades recycling has risen as one of the best ways of handling waste, however not all products can undergo the process. The intricate design of EV lithium-ion batteries might prove too complex for recycling and a disposal method might be the only way out. This means until the adaptability of the batteries to recycling is established plans to establish businesses for the process should be put on hold (Xu et al., 2008).
Lastly, there is a technical issue resulting from a possible second life for battery technology. There have been recommendations that a battery at the end of its life in an electric vehicle should be repurposed for re-use in a different end such as in stationary power storage say in a residential building or hospitals. Before repurposing battery cells, modules, and packs have to pass certain tests but ultimately this increases the lifespan and recycling has to wait for much longer. This further complicates the issue of recycling as a business venture.
Environmental Aspect of Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries
With regard to the environment, recycling of end of life EV lithium-ion batteries is recommended because it results in higher energy saving. This is the case because the amount of energy needed to recycle a unit of mineral-like cobalt is considerably lower when compared to the amount needed to mine the same unit of the mineral. The efficient use of energy, as in the case of recycling batteries is important in the conservation of the environment since it prevents the unnecessary exploitation of limited natural resources. Consequently, from an environmental point of view recycling the EV batteries will have a positive impact on natural resources and as such it is highly recommended that it begins as soon as possible. Based on these environmental aspects and the nature of positivity that recycling Lithium-ion batteries bring to the world, it is safe to wage plans on how the resources that would be directed to impact the environment negatively, can be put to good use.
To begin with, the resources can be channeled in the planting of trees and the covering of pitfalls that were made during the mining of the various minerals required in the making of Lithium-ion batteries. This venture will make the environment more beautiful and also bring down or even eradicate the deaths that are about by the drowning of people in such pitfalls. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the mining of areas of the environment and the destruction of vegetation tends to bring out what we refer to as soil erosion. As such, through the planting of trees, as mentioned above, the aspect of soil erosion on the environment will be almost eradicated or reduced to a low-degree. As a matter of fact, projects in Africa that involve the mining of such minerals by big corporations from countries such as China, have been at the forefront in destroying the environment while not giving a second thought to the people living in the area. Apart from the soil erosion experienced, there has been the scarcity of even rainfall in most areas as vegetation and most importantly, the trees have been cleared out. This situation has made most African countries to not have enough food to feed its people as there is not enough rainfall. As a way to solve the water situation so as the planting of crops can be made a reality, the whole experience has turned out to be rather expensive in the long run. It is my view that measures are put in place to deter such companies from engaging in such actions, and if it is highly necessary, they should contribute to the restoration of the environment and deal with the well-being of the people in the area for a particular period of time before normalcy can return.
Conclusion
Recycling is thus gaining new significance as a topic of interest. The recycling of used electric batteries offers the huge potential that has barely been exploited to date. Legislators are also exerting pressure: If the EU Commission, whose new Battery.
References
Curry, C. (2017). Lithium-ion battery costs and market. Bloomberg New Energy Finance, 5, 4-6.
Dijk, M., Orsato, R. J., & Kemp, R. (2013). The emergence of an electric mobility trajectory. Energy Policy, 52, 135-145.
Goonan, T. G. (2012). Lithium use in batteries.
Granata, G., Pagnanelli, F., Moscardini, E., Takacova, Z., Havlik, T., & Toro, L. (2012). Simultaneous recycling of nickel-metal hydride, lithium-ion, and primary lithium batteries: Accomplishment of European Guidelines by optimizing mechanical pre-treatment and solvent extraction operations. Journal of Power Sources, 212, 205-211.
Harper, G., Sommerville, R., Kendrick, E., Driscoll, L., Slater, P., Stolkin, R., … & Abbott, A. (2019). Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles. Nature, 575(7781), 75-86.
Krauss, C. (2010). The Lithium Chase. The New York Times, 9.
Pagliaro, M., & Meneguzzo, F. (2019). Lithium battery reusing and recycling: A circular economy insight. Heliyon, 5(6), e01866.
Patel, P., & Gaines, L. (2016). Recycling Li batteries could soon make economic sense. MRS Bulletin, 41(6), 430-431.
Peiró, L. T., Méndez, G. V., & Ayres, R. U. (2013). Lithium: sources, production, uses, and recovery outlook. Jom, 65(8), 986-996.
Scrosati, B., Garche, J., & Sun, Y. K. (2015). Recycling lithium batteries. In Advances in Battery Technologies for Electric Vehicles (pp. 503-516). Woodhead Publishing.
Xu, J., Thomas, H. R., Francis, R. W., Lum, K. R., Wang, J., & Liang, B. (2008). A review of processes and technologies for the recycling of lithium-ion secondary batteries. Journal of Power Sources, 177(2), 512-527.
Vikström, H., Davidsson, S., & Höök, M. (2013). Lithium availability and future production outlooks. Applied Energy, 110, 252-266.
Watanabe, S. (1951). Bench-scale Studies of the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Over Iron, Nickel, and Nickel-Cobalt Catalysts (Japan) (Vol. 7611). US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines.