Redwood Materials is repurposing old EV batteries into energy storage systems that cost “considerably less” than brand name brand-new storage jobs, the business stated Thursday.
The electrical car battery recycling and making endeavorwhich was established by Tesla’s previous chief technologist, has actually developed a brand-new department called Redwood Energy to handle these jobs. The objective is to divert “diminished however practical” EV batteries from the recycling stream and repurpose them into “inexpensive, massive” energy storage systems that can assist plug vital spaces in the energy grid.
Redwood states it gets over 20 GWh of batteries every year– the equivalent of 250,000 EVs– which represents about 90 percent of all lithium-ion batteries and battery products recycled in North America. And oftentimes, the batteries it gets for recycling still have a great deal of functional energy capability– approximately 50 percent. These are batteries that are no longer ideal to power an electrical automobile, however still have sufficient life in them to serve some function.
1/3Image: Redwood Materials
Rather than recycle those still practical batteries, Redwood is turning them into fixed storage systems. And the business states this will be a growing chance as more EV batteries reach completion of their life-span. Redwood approximates that more than 100,000 EVs will come off the roadway this year alone.
After recuperating the battery loads, Redwoods engineers carry out a diagnostics examine to identify whether its an ideal prospect for healing or recycling. If its multiple-use, the pack is set up into “versatile, modular storage systems” which can run individually or link to the grid. Redwood states it has “over a gigawatt-hour” of multiple-use batteries in its pipeline, a number it anticipates to grow by 5 GWhs in the coming year.
Redwood has actually currently released its very first microgrid powered by upcycled EV batteries. The grid, with 12 MW of power and 63 MWh of capability, lies at the business’s school in Nevada and is being utilized to power a 2,000-GPU modular information center for AI facilities business Crusoe. Redwood calls it the “biggest second-life battery release worldwide” with adequate energy to power “9,000 homes, support 20 Amtrak journeys in between New York and Washington, D.C., or charge an EV for a 240,000-mile journey– the range to the moon.”
Redwood Materials was established in 2017 by JB Straubel. In addition to breaking down scrap from Tesla’s battery-making procedure with Panasonic, Redwood likewise recycles batteries from Ford Toyota Nissan Specialized Amazon Lyft Rad Power Bikes Lime fixed storage centersand others. The business likewise produces anodes and cathodes, vital battery elements, at a center in South Carolina.
