Where do lithium batteries go after they are retired? Experts explain →
2024-08-25
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The past 10 years have been a golden period for the development of my country's new energy industry. Lithium batteries, new energy vehicles and solar energy have become new growth points for my country's foreign trade. In 2023, my country's total lithium battery production will increase by 25% year-on-year, and lithium battery production capacity will account for 75% of the world; new energy vehicle production and sales will account for more than 60% of the world, and energy storage battery shipments will account for 90% of the world. When a large number of batteries are retired in the future, will they become "mines" where resources can be recycled and reused, or will they become dangerous "volcanoes" that cause ecological crises?
01
Where do lithium batteries go after they are retired?
Xu Kaihua, Chairman of GEM Co., Ltd. and Director of the Academic Committee of the National Key Laboratory of Energy Metal Resources and New Materials: Battery recycling depends on the remaining capacity. If the remaining capacity is 80%, you can continue to drive (new energy vehicles). If the remaining capacity is 60%, you can take it down for protective disassembly, disassemble it, and use it in industrial and commercial energy storage. This is called cascade utilization. If it cannot be cascaded, it will be ground into black powder, which is a mixture of lithium, nickel and cobalt. Through technical research, the recovery rate of lithium has reached more than 95%, and can reach 97% to 98%. The recovery rate of nickel and cobalt has also reached more than 99%.
02
How dangerous is it to not recycle used batteries?
Zhu Baoyi, Chairman of Zhejiang Narada Power Co., Ltd.: If used batteries are not disposed of and treated, and left in the wild to be exposed to the sun and wind, they will cause certain harm to the soil and air. However, if they are placed in the right place, they will be effectively and efficiently processed and turned into materials with current technology, processes and equipment, and there will be no pollution.
03
What are you anxious about when driving a new energy vehicle?
Liang Rui, Vice President and President of Sustainable Development of Sunwoda Electronics Co., Ltd.: We have been solving several anxiety issues. We used to worry about the battery being unsafe, but now it has basically been solved. The mileage anxiety has also been solved, and it can run up to 1,000 kilometers. Then we are faced with charging anxiety. Now we also have 4C charging, which can charge 80% in 10 minutes. The next step may be the issue of battery retirement, which is also a matter of great concern to the people. They hope to buy something that can be used forever. Therefore, when we provide batteries to car companies now, there are two standards. There is a strict lifespan for operating vehicles, and there may be a lifetime warranty for home use (vehicles).
04
Can I buy the car without the battery?
Shen Fei, Senior Vice President of NIO: We suggest that the battery should be separated from the car, so that users can use the car just like they used to use gasoline. They pay according to the capacity of the battery, and when the battery reaches the end of its life, it should be retired or recycled.
05
Is the peak period of battery scrapping coming?
Wu Zhixin, deputy general manager of China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd.: According to our calculations, now is not the peak period for battery scrapping. The battery capacity drops below 80% does not mean that it is no longer useful, because the driving range is getting longer and longer, reaching 800 kilometers or 1,000 kilometers, and the remaining 80% can still run about 800 kilometers. Therefore, the time for real scrapping is roughly 2030.
06
How to rectify the chaos in the battery recycling industry?
Wang Jianxin, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary of the China Battery Industry Association: Formal enterprises have made large investments, of which environmental protection investment accounts for a large part, so there is no toxic or harmful emissions at all. Informal enterprises do not have this investment, and they may violently dismantle the batteries after they are taken back. If they cannot be reused, they will directly refine black powder without environmental protection investment. We call for tax incentives and environmental compensation to be given to formal recycling companies at this stage, and establish a division of main responsibilities. We enforce standardized management and raise the threshold, and then we will enter a virtuous cycle.
