A second life energy storage assembly plant has opened in Germany, amidst a rapid fall in battery prices which could threaten the economics of repurposing EV batteries into stationary units.

A large-scale battery system has been brought online at the site of the former Hazelwood Power Station coal plant in Victoria, Australia.

Fenecon has begun construction of factory in Germany which will repurpose electric vehicle (EV) batteries into stationary storage systems.

Could we start seeing ‘third life’ or even ‘fourth life’ energy storage, with EV batteries deployed in multiple different systems in their lifetime?

EV batteries made by Mercedes-Benz will be given a new lease of life in stationary energy storage systems (ESS). 

Following last year’s acquisition, independent power plant developer Green Frog Power has rebranded as Pulse Clean Energy and unveiled a target of 1GW+ of energy storage assets in the UK.

Used lithium-ion batteries taken from carmaker Audi’s electric vehicles (EVs) have been repurposed into a ‘second-life’ stationary energy storage system by energy company RWE at a project in Herdecke, Germany. 

News in brief from around the world in energy storage.

A lithium-ion battery recycling plant is under construction in Norway, focusing initially on electric vehicle (EV) batteries, but the CEO of the company behind it has said that it will also be capable of processing batteries from stationary energy storage systems (ESS).

Lithium battery technology is rapidly enabling the electrification of transport, and of the energy sector. However, batteries themselves can often be seen as a short-lived commodity and as yet, recycling and reuse have not become major priorities in the industry. Dr Amrit Chandan, CEO of UK-headquartered Aceleron Energy discusses what it means to build a circular economy around advanced lithium-ion batteries, designed with longer lifetimes and their repurposing for second-life use in mind.