China\'s Giving Batteries a Second Life

Detroit, China wants to be a battery-
Electric-
Automobile industry.
This year alone, sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach 1 million, and the government has a big expansion plan.
But this popular trend brings a confusing side effect: China is now consuming more lithium
More than anywhere else in the world.
What do they do?
Throwing these batteries away can be harmful to the environment.
At the same time, it is not profitable to recycle them.
The solution in China is simple ---
But it may have a profound impact on the environment.
Rechargeable lithium since 1990
It turns out that ion batteries are a useful way to store a lot of energy in small spaces.
This makes them suitable not only for cars, but also for consumer electronics such as power tools and iPhones.
China is the leading manufacturer and consumer of this gadget in the world and now the largest manufacturer of lithium, which is naturalion batteries.
Once these batteries are discarded, the dilemma of how to deal with them will only get bigger and bigger.
It seems like a compelling opportunity to use them for commodity recycling. There\'s a near-
The government has provided generous subsidies to China, which has the world\'s largest and most advanced battery recyclers. Yet lithium-
Ion batteries have a quirk that destroys these efforts: they are still useful for a long time after powering the device-
Telephone, drill or car-is retired.
Estimates vary, but average electricity
After ten years of use, the capacity of the car battery is at least 70%.
Working batteries can account for 40% of the cost of the car, obviously more valuable than recycling batteries.
This is the reason for repositioning. -
Use old battery in new app-
It has become an increasingly popular choice.
Thanks to the Chinese craftsman morality, low
The cost labor force and the willingness to tolerate lower standards in exchange for lower prices, and the business of retargeting uses is booming.
Most of the industry is still informal.
I visited some workshops where the old smartphone battery was simply removed from the label, covered on the new one, and then re-sold online.
More operations-the-
This book includes test protocols for power storage using batteries and corporate customers.
The industry is huge. -
The global pricing of used batteries reflects this fact.
According to Hans Merlin, author of the recent analysis of lithium
In the ion market, Chinese refiners will pay $4 per kilogram for batteries with reuse potential;
A battery that is more suitable for recycling costs only $1. 50 per kilogram
Companies around the world are beginning to see the potential of this approach.
BMW recently commissioned a trial
Up to 700 older battery packs will be deployed to capture the storage yard of the energy generated by the windmill.
China Tower Company
Operators of 2 million telecom towers intend to replace lead-
Acid battery for \"Second Life\" lithium power backup-
Ion batteries purchased from manufacturers.
This is exactly the kind of arrangement China wants to encourage.
Last month, it released new guidelines aimed at consolidating its position as the world\'s leading destination for power depletioncar batteries.
The reuse of many of these batteries for other energy projects should further reduce power supply
The impact of cars on the environment.
Even better, the steady growth in the supply of old batteries should reduce storage costs.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that the cost of re-use per kilowatt battery is only $49.
By contrast, the price of a new battery in 2018 was $300.
In general, the benefits of this shift can be enormous.
Melin predicts that retired car batteries to 2025,60% will be used for energy storage before recycling.
This will reduce costs, further reduce emissions and reduce demand for new batteries and related raw materials.
In other words, China is not only managing used batteries,-
It is likely to be an example of how the rest of the world can be sustainable --up.
Contact the author of this story: Adam Minter of aminter @ bloomberg.
NetTo contacted the editor in charge of the story: Timothy Lavin of tlavin1 @ bloomberg.